Egypt's FM Shoukry welcomes Syrian counterpart Mekdad in Cairo

CAIRO – 1 April 2023: Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry welcomed on Saturday his Syrian counterpart, Fayssal Mekdad, in Cairo in his first ever visit to the Egyptian capital since assuming post.

The visit takes place at the invitation of Shoukry, the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

During their meeting, the ministers will discuss strengthening bilateral relations between Egypt and Syria and the latest developments in the region and the world, the Syrian ministry added.

Late in February, Shoukry made his first visit to Syria where he met with Syrian President Bashar El-Assad and foreign minister Mekdad in Damascus.

Shoukry’s trip last month, which also included the Turkish capital, Ankara, came in the wake of the devastating 7.8 magnitude quake that hit both Syria and Turkey, killing more than 52,000 people and displacing millions.

Egypt has sent hundreds of tons of relief aid to both countries via ships and military planes to help them face the impact of the deadly quake.

Shoukry and Assad held consultations in Damascus on the historic Egyptian-Syrian relations.

During the meeting, Assad thanked Egypt for the aid that it provided to Syria to support the Syrian government’s relief efforts, affirming that Syria is keen on maintaining its relations with Egypt, the Syrian Presidency said in a statement.

The Syrian president also highlighted the need to look at the Egyptian-Syrian relations from a general perspective within a natural and historic framework for these relations.

Work to improve the relations between the Arab countries on the bilateral level is the basis for improving the Arab situation in general, Assad said added during the meeting.

Assad also praised the way Egypt deals with Syrians on its land, saying that Egypt has not dealt with them as refugees. Instead, the Egyptian people have embraced them in all regions, which affirm the ties bringing the two peoples together and the noble values of the Egyptian people, Assad stressed.

The Syrian president also voiced appreciation for the phone call that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi made with him in the wake of the quake, saying he praises the brotherly feelings that he felt during the call, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported.

For his part, Shoukry hailed the Egyptian-Syrian relations as a main cornerstone in protecting Arab provinces, affirming that Egypt would always endorse all efforts to support Syria and serve the interests of the brotherly Syrian people.

The top Egyptian diplomat also highlighted the bonds linking the Syrian and Egyptian peoples, affirming that the Syrians residing in Egypt have shown great capability to live in harmony with the Egyptian society and have achieved great success in their work in various fields.

“I carry a message of solidarity from the Egyptian government and people to sisterly Syria and we are ready to introduce more to alleviate the suffering of the brotherly Syrian people,” the Egyptian Foreign Ministry quoted Shoukry as saying during the meeting.