Syrian Foreign Minister meets Egyptian counterpart in Cairo

Damascus [Syria], April 2 (ANI): Syrian Foreign and Expatriate Minister Fayssal Mikdad met his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry and held bilateral talks in Cairo. It is the first such trip to Cairo for the Syrian foreign minister in more than a decade, according to Syrian News Agency SANA and Anadolu Agency.

According to the SANA, the conversation between the two addressed the strengthening of brotherly relations and the latest events in the region and the world.

Egyptian Foreign Minister reiterated "Egypt's support to efforts aimed at reaching a comprehensive political settlement to the Syrian crisis at the earliest possible time," according to an Anadolu Agency report citing the statement released from Egypt's side.

The Egyptian minister also voiced support for UN efforts to reach a consensus among Syrian people, build confidence, and continue the meetings of the Syrian Constitutional Committee, the statement said.

Mekdad, for his part, said he looks forward to more Arab solidarity with Syria in order to overcome its crisis, the statement said.

According to the statement, the two ministers agreed on intensifying channels of communication between the two countries with a view to tackling issues and matters of interest for both countries, reported Anadolu Agency.

Mekdad's visit was the first to Egypt since Syria's membership in the Cairo-based Arab League was suspended in November 2011 following the regime's brutal crackdown on pro-democracy protests.

The top diplomats of Egypt and Syria met in September 2021 in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meetings.

Earlier, the Egyptian Foreign Minister had visited Damascus on February 27 and conveyed to President Bashar al-Assad a message from Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, in which he expressed Egypt's solidarity with Syria, and Cairo's willingness to strengthen relations and develop joint cooperation, according to SANA. (ANI)