Egypt, Greece and Cyprus push for timeline on Syrian transition
The leaders of Egypt, Cyprus, and Greece have called for a timeline on a Syrian transition to peace as fears of further regional instability grow.
Reported by the National on January 8th, a conference held for the trio on Wednesday 8th saw Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi call for “intense efforts to resolve the conflicts in the region, warning that failure to do so could lead to an all-out regional war, resulting in a displacement crisis and an increase in illegal migration”.
His thoughts were echoed by the Cypriot leader who said, “our region is less secure and more unstable than it ever has been” and, the National argues, made a presumed reference to Turkey when he said the three countries need to work together to offset the political maneuvering of “other countries”.
With Turkey playing a pivotal role in supporting the new Syrian government, there are growing fears over the increasing influence of Turkey and their access to Syrian resources.
According to the Egypt Independent, the conference in Cairo also called for a “concerted effort by the Syrian people to launch a comprehensive political process under Syrian national ownership, free from foreign interference and inclusive of all national parties”.
The joint statement emphasized that “the unity, independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Syria within secure borders must be respected in accordance with international law.”
Following the ousting of the Assad regime in December 2024, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham – originally an offshoot of al Qaeda with links to ISIS – became the de facto government of Syria.
Despite their origins, the party led by al-Sharaa have publicly declared that Syria will not return to a sectarian society, nor will it be governed by the ideologies of Islamic extremist groups. Rather, ethnic minorities will be protected, and a pragmatic approach to rebuilding and governance will be adopted.
Al-Sharaa also recently said that elections in Syria would take up to four years to hold. However, neighbouring countries, as well as the international community, are watching the behaviour of the new government closely.
Egypt, Greece and Cyprus are in support of a timeline of Syrian transition to quell their fears of a rise in Islamic terrorism. If Syria’s government fails, or their borders are not secure, this risks the territorial integrity of the neighbouring states. Egypt in particular are concerned with the influx of Muslim Brotherhood members who supported the now-deposed Egyptian President Morsi.
The three leaders all voiced concerns over the exacerbation of illegal migration – particularly into Egypt and Europe – and has been a key area of cooperation between the three.
Egypt, which has hosted more than 1.5 million Syrian refugees since the start of the Syrian conflict in 2011, are strongly opposed to the implementation of Islamist governments in the region.
In accordance, the Egyptian government have implemented a near-total ban on Syrians from entering the country.
The National, Egypt Independent
