Egyptian FM postpones visit to Syria amid media criticism of its new leadership

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty’s planned visit to Damascus next week has been postponed, according to a report in The New Arab.

The delay reportedly follows a conversation between Abdelatty and his counterpart in Syria last week.

The decision comes after weeks of Egyptian state media’s critical coverage of Syria’s new leadership.  Multiple outlets have reportedly labeled Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the group that toppled former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, as a terrorist organization.

Egypt’s approach diverges from other Arab nations including Morocco, Qatar and the UAE, which have opened communication channels with Syria’s transitional government.

In an interview with Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, former Egyptian Deputy Foreign Minister Ambassador Abdullah Al-Ashaal noted that Egypt’s approach is based on “pragmatic engagement with the reality on the ground in Syria without signaling any change in Egypt’s stance on the Syrian crisis.”

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who overthrew the democratically elected Islamist government of Mohamed Morsi in a coup in 2013, had previously supported Assad’s regime. 

Since Assad’s fall, Egypt has banned Syrians from entering the country unless they hold temporary residency permits.

Reports suggest that Sisi remains concerned that the success of Syria’s rebel forces could inspire similar uprisings in Egypt.