Egypt's Sisi meets Syria's Sharaa in Cairo for first time

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 yesterday, according to Reuters.

Al-Sharaa 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.

Al-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 criticised.

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 Al-Sisi urged launching a comprehensive political process that includes all Syrians without excluding any parties during the meeting with Sharaa.

Al-Sisi also expressed Egypt’s keenness on the unity and safety of Syrian lands, reiterating its rejection to any “assault” on Syrian territory.

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