Damascus – For the first time in two years, an Egyptian political and media delegation is set to visit the Syrian capital of Damascus after the two countries cut-ties with one another in 2013.
According to a source in Damascus, the Egyptian delegation will be arriving in the coming weeks, as the two countries work towards political rapprochement after Iran stepped forward to mediate the restoration of diplomatic ties.
The election of the Muslim Brotherhood’s leading candidate, Mohammad Morsi, in June of 2012 resulted in the end of diplomatic relations between Syria and Egypt.
Following Mohammad Morsi’s removal and arrest, the government of ‘Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi took a different stance towards the Muslim Brotherhood and the Islamist groups that supported the armed opposition in Syria.
The restoration of diplomatic ties between Egypt and Syria is imperative, as both countries are currently facing a serious threat from the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) – Egypt in the Sinai Peninsula and Syria in the eastern countryside of the country.
Syria and Egypt have a long history together that dates back to the independence of the former in 1946; twelve years later – under the leadership of Jamal ‘Abdel-Nasser – the two countries would form the short-lived United Arab Republic (1958-1961).
