Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met Syria's new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, for the first time on the sidelines of the summit held to discuss Gaza's reconstruction in Cairo on Tuesday.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, greets Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa as Egypt hosts emergency Arab summit to discuss Palestinian developments, at Egypt's New Administrative Capital in Cairo, March 4, 2025. Egyptian Presidency
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met Syria's new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, for the first time on the sidelines of the summit held to discuss Gaza's reconstruction in Cairo on Tuesday.
Sharaa, an Islamist who was once an affiliate of al Qaeda, has been trying to gain support from Arab and Western leaders since he led a rebel offensive that toppled former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.
Sisi has cracked down on Islamists in the most populous Arab state, which has wide influence in the Middle East and is a close ally of the United States.
Unlike its Gulf allies, Cairo has been more cautious in its response to the new rulers in Syria, whom state-affiliated media have criticized.
The Syrian state news agency said Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani also attended the meeting, but did not give further details on the agenda.
The Egyptian presidency said in a later statement that Sisi urged launching a comprehensive political process that includes all Syrians without excluding any parties during the meeting with Sharaa.
Sisi also expressed Egypt's keenness on the unity and safety of Syrian lands, reiterating its rejection to any "assault" on Syrian territory.
Reporting by Jaidaa Taha and Muhammad Al Gebaly
Two Egyptian army officers, including a high-ranking border guard officer, were killed during a military crackdown on illegal gold mining along Egypt's southern border with Sudan, a military spokesperson said on Thursday.
Prominent Egyptians hailed the election of Abdul El-Sayed as the first Muslim member of the US Senate on Wednesday, though state media paid little notice to the rise of a liberal American who has called his parents' native country a military dictatorship.
Saudi Arabia and Syria signed a cooperation agreement between the two countries' defense ministries on Wednesday, Saudi state news agency SPA reported, as Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi group continues its missile and drone attacks on the kingdom.
To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.
Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.