Egypt to "re-evaluate" relations with Syria

21/07/2013| IslamWeb

Egypt's new foreign minister has said that Cairo is re-evaluating its relationship with Syria following the military's toppling of president Mohamed Morsi.

In his first public comments since becoming Egypt's top diplomat, Nabil Fahmy said on Saturday that the country continues to support the Syrian uprising but that Cairo has no intention of waging jihad in Syria.

"There is no intention of jihad in Syria," Fahmy said, in reference to calls for jihad in Syria under Morsi's presidency.

The new foreign minister said Morsi's decision to cut diplomatic ties with war-torn Syria would be "re-examined," while stressing that did not mean they would "resume or not resume".

Fahmy's comments signaled a shift from Morsi's approach.

Just weeks before Morsi was deposed on July 3, a senior presidential aide said authorities would not prevent Egyptians from travelling to Syria to join the revolution.

Morsi also attended a rally on June 15 in which Muslim leaders urged young Egyptians to go fight in Syria.

Speaking at the rally, Morsi announced he was severing diplomatic ties with Damascus.

PHOTO CAPTION

Egypt's newly appointed foreign minister Nabil Fahmy leaves after meeting with caretaker prime minister Hazem al-Beblawi in Cairo on July 14, 2013.

Aljazeera