Egypt and Syria commit to closer ties as foreign minister visits Cairo

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry meets with Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad in Cairo, Egypt, April 1, 2023 in this handout picture courtesy of the Egyptian Foreign Ministry. The Egyptian Foreign Ministry/Handout via REUTERS

Egypt and Syria agreed to strengthen cooperation on Saturday during the first official visit by a Syrian foreign minister to Cairo in more than a decade, the latest sign of Arab states mending ties with President Bashar al Assad.

Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad was embraced by Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry as he arrived at Egypt's foreign ministry in the first official trip since before the uprising and conflict that began in Syria in 2011.