Syria’s new president invited to emergency Arab League summit in Egypt

Syria’s new President, Ahmed Al-Sharaa, has received an invitation from Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi to attend an emergency Arab League summit in Cairo on 4 March, the Syrian presidency said on Sunday. This marks a major step in rebuilding ties with the Arab world after the ouster of Bashar Al-Assad, Reuters has reported.

Sharaa, whose Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) group spearheaded the offensive that toppled autocratic leader Assad in December, was declared president for a transitional phase last month.

Since assuming power, Sharaa has sought to strengthen ties with Arab nations, pledging a political transition that includes the formation of an inclusive government and eventual elections, which he has said could take up to four years to organise.

Egypt, which views Islamists as an existential threat, has treaded with caution after Sharaa took office, with officials saying that Syria’s new administration needs to adopt an inclusive political transition free from “external interventions”.

While Sisi congratulated Sharaa upon his appointment, their first face-to-face meeting is expected to take place during the Arab League summit.

The upcoming Cairo summit is set to focus primarily on Arab efforts to counter US President Donald Trump’s plan to redevelop war-torn Gaza into an international beach resort and his calls for Egypt and Jordan to resettle Palestinians who will be displaced to allow his resort to become reality.

READ: Egypt calls on EU to support Gaza reconstruction plan without displacing Palestinians