Syria’s FM visits Egypt in step toward restoring ties

By SAMY MAGDY
Associated Press

CAIRO (AP) — Syria’s chief diplomat is visiting Egypt in a step toward normalizing ties between the two countries. It was the first trip to the capital of Cairo for a Syrian foreign minister in over a decade. Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad met Saturday with Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry. Syria’s state-run SANA news agency reported that Mekdad would discuss bilateral ties and the latest developments in the region and the world. Mekdad’s visit comes as the two countries inch toward re-establishing ties. It’s been more than a decade since Syria was globally isolated after President Bashar Assad’s brutal crackdown on mass protests against his rule in the 2011 Arab Spring uprising.