Despite corona pandemic, Egyptian political activity to move the political process in Syria

Cairo – North-Press Agency

Muhammad Abu Zaid

During the past few days, the Egyptian Foreign Affairs Ministry carried out a series of contacts to push the political process in Syria. This comes in conjunction with the world's preoccupation with the COVID-19 pandemic, which contributed to changing the agenda of countries' priorities, and it also changed – even relatively – the national security priorities in some countries, in terms of focusing on addressing the health crisis.

On Tuesday, April 21 Egyptian Foreign Affairs Minister Sameh Shokry met with representatives of the Cairo Platform of the Syrian opposition, and – according to a statement issued by the Egyptian Foreign Affairs Ministry – the meeting “discussed the latest developments in the Syrian scene and ways to push the path of political settlement.” 

According to the Cairo Platform member Firas al-Khaledi (who has participated in the Egyptian Foreign Affairs Minister’s meeting), Cairo seeks to “hold meetings of the Syrian Constitutional Committee,” and Minister Shoukry said that he is in contact with the United Nations in order to push for that. 

In press statements after the meeting, he said that “the meeting confirmed the strengthening of the Arab axis in order to preserve the political unity of Syria, and that the discussions must be urgent and balanced to push the Syrian parties to sit together to find appropriate solutions to the crisis.” 

In connection with the Egyptian role in the Syrian file, the Egyptian Foreign Affairs Minister received a phone call on Wednesday from the UN envoy to Syria Geir Pedersen “in the context of continuous coordination between Cairo and the UN envoy on pushing the peaceful settlement efforts of the Syrian crisis,” according to a statement issued by the Egyptian Foreign Affairs Ministry.

The statement stated that Minister Shoukry stressed Egypt's determination to continue pushing efforts to end the conflict and to settle the Syrian crisis in accordance with Security Council Resolution No. 2254 in a manner that preserves the unity and independence of Syria, and meets the aspirations of the brotherly Syrian people, as well as taking Syria back to its natural position on the regional and international arenas.

Egypt expressed the efforts exerted by it to push the political process through its membership in the small group of countries concerned with this process, and through its communication with the moderate Syrian opposition, headed by the Cairo Group, the matter also linked to the necessity of the decisive response to the “terrorist” and extremist organizations, and the regional supportive parties.

In turn, Adel al-Halawani, a Syrian opposition politician who lives in Cairo, said in special statements: “For us, as the Syrian opposition, we see that Egypt plays a balanced and effective role in the Syrian cause.”

“The Egyptian efforts to push for a peaceful political solution in Syria and for a full political settlement can never be denied,” he added.

In response to what media reports mentioned regarding Egypt's moves for the Syrian cause as an attempt to destabilize the government, al-Halawani said: “Egypt has relations with the Syrian government, but it is not directed against the Syrian people and their interests … Egypt's role in the Syrian issue is a balanced and clear role without bias.”