Egypt–Syria relations

Egypt–Syria relations

Egypt
Syria

Egypt–Syria relations are foreign relations between Egypt and Syria. Egypt has an embassy in Damascus. Syria has an embassy in Cairo. Both countries were members of the Arab League, but as of November 2011 Syria has been suspended from the League due to its failure to follow up with an agreement concerning its current civil war.[1] Relations were generally well under the reign of Hosni Mubarak, but since has been strained after the election of hard line Mohamed Morsi. Egypt closed down its embassy in Damascus in 2011. However, relations were restored and the embassies reopened in both Egypt and Syria after the military coup in Egypt that toppled Morsi.

History of relations

Egypt–Syria relations had generally been peaceful during the rule of Hosni Mubarak. They were once strained under the leadership of Anwar al-Sadat after he made a peace deal with Israel. Hafez al-Assad severed all relations with Egypt after the signing of the peace deal. Relations were once again established and Egypt had warm relations with Syria during Bashar al-Assads rule. However, after the Arab Spring and the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood, relations have been extremely strained. The Muslim Brotherhood is a banned organisation in Syria and its membership is a capital offence in Syria. Egypt severed all relations with the Syrian Arab Republic in 2011, after Syrian security forces crackdown on civilians. Egypt has since supported the Syrian opposition and has called on Assad to step down. This is mainly due to the rule of Sunni hardliners and Muslim Brotherhood supporters in Egypt who have opposed the Shi'ite-dominated government. On June 15, 2013, Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi ordered the closing of the Syrian Embassy in Cairo and a no-fly zone over Syria. However, diplomatic relations were restored and the embassies reopened after Morsi's regime was toppled by the Egyptian militiary in 2013.

See also

References

  1. ↑ World Report:2012, Human Rights Watch

External links