Yesterday, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, in the first visit by an Egyptian foreign minister to both countries in nearly 10 years, in solidarity with Ankara and for a humanitarian goal in Damascus, while Syrian President Bashar al-Assad expressed his expression. He thanked Egypt for the assistance it provided to his country as a result of the earthquake, stressing Syria’s keenness on its relations with Egypt.
Yesterday, Shukri affirmed from Damascus his country’s solidarity with the Syrian people in the face of the repercussions of the devastating earthquake, explaining that the goal of his visit, which is the first in more than a decade, is “humanitarian” in the first place, at a time when the authorities are seeking to accelerate its isolation from its regional environment.
Shoukry arrived yesterday morning in Syria, on a tour that also included neighboring Turkey later in the day, after years of apathy in relations between Cairo and both Damascus and Ankara, before the heat returned to it following the earthquake that killed about 50,000 people in the two countries.
Shoukry said in a joint press conference with Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal al-Miqdad, at the Syrian Foreign Ministry headquarters, that he had conveyed from Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad a message of “solidarity and sympathy with the brotherly Syrian people, and readiness to continue providing whatever support we can to counter the effects of the conflict.” earthquake”.
In response to a question about the possibility of returning bilateral relations to their previous state, Shoukry explained, “The purpose of the visit is primarily humanitarian, to convey solidarity at the leadership level, at the government level, and at the level of the Egyptian people to the Syrian people.”
The Egyptian minister considered that the Syrian-Egyptian relations are an essential pillar in protecting the Arab countries, stressing that Egypt will always be with everything that can help Syria, and that it will move forward in everything that would serve the interests of the brotherly Syrian people.
Shoukry drew attention to the ties between the Syrian and Egyptian peoples, and pointed out that the Syrians residing in Egypt showed a great ability to adapt to the Egyptian society, and achieved great success in their work in various fields.
Al-Miqdad said, “The Egyptian aid that arrived reflects the solidarity of the Egyptian people with their brother, the Syrian people. We hope that Syria will overcome the effects of the earthquake.”
Later, al-Assad, according to a statement from the Syrian presidency, thanked Egypt for its “assistance to support the Syrian government’s efforts to provide relief to those affected by the earthquake.”
He stressed that his country is “keen on the relations it has with Egypt,” considering that “work to improve relations between Arab countries bilaterally is the basis for improving the Arab situation in general.”
He noted that Egypt did not treat the Syrians who settled in it “during the war on Syria” as refugees, but rather the Egyptian people embraced them in all regions, which confirms the ties that unite the two peoples, and the authenticity that the Egyptian people possess.
Shoukry also visited Turkey, indicating another shift in Egypt’s foreign relations.
Shoukry met his Turkish counterpart, Cavusoglu, in the southern city of Adana, which was also shaken by earthquakes.
A spokesman for the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ahmed Abu Zeid, said that the foreign minister offered his condolences to the earthquake victims, and affirmed the solidarity of Egypt’s leadership, government and people with Turkey, as well as affirming the continuation of providing aid to support Turkey and its people.
Shoukry and Cavusoglu then went on a visit to the port of Mersin, where an Egyptian aid ship arrived yesterday.
“During our talks, we exchanged views on mutual visits in the coming period,” Cavusoglu told reporters at the port of Mersin. The two deputy foreign ministers have met twice before, and it would be beneficial if they met again. After our talks, the two presidents can meet in Turkey or Egypt.
Shukri affirmed from Damascus his country’s solidarity with the Syrian people in facing the repercussions of the devastating earthquake.
