Syria’s Foreign Minister met his Egyptian counterpart in Cairo more than a decade later, the latest sign that Arab countries are mending relations with President Bashar al-Assad.

Sameh Shukri hugged Faisal Mekdad, when he arrived at the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, on his first official trip since the uprising and conflict broke out in Syria in 2011.

Many Western and Arab countries have “turned their backs” on President Assad because of the war in Syria, which has led to the death of hundreds of thousands of people and the country being divided.

An Egyptian security source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the visit aimed at taking steps for Syria’s return to the Arab League through Egyptian and Saudi mediation.

The Cairo-based Arab League suspended Syria’s participation in 2011 and several Arab countries withdrew their envoys from Damascus.

Some countries, including the United States and Qatar, opposed restoring relations with Assad, citing the government’s brutality during the conflict and the need for visible progress toward a political solution in Syria.

Also read: Syria | Refuses normalization of relations with Turkey unless occupation ends

But major regional powers including the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia maintain an increasingly open stance against Damascus.

Egypt’s Foreign Ministry released images of the two Ministers in a closed-door meeting ahead of broader discussions. The Syrian state news agency SANA reported that the talks seek to strengthen relations between the two countries.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Shoukry visited Syria and Turkey in February following devastating earthquakes in both countries.

The Ministers agreed to intensify communication channels between the two countries at various levels during the upcoming phase, according to a statement issued by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry. Egypt also reiterated its support for a comprehensive political settlement to the Syrian crisis as soon as possible.

Source: CNN Greece

Also read: Egypt | Foreign Minister visits Turkey and Syria after a decade