Egypt's cold realism on Syria
Egyptian officials are focusing on their own politics for now, while expecting a protracted conflict in Syria.
CAIRO — The next meeting of the Friends Of Syria is scheduled for May 15 in London. Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmi, however, will not attend, as it seems a previous engagement in Bratislava cannot be broken.
In any case, Egyptians don’t expect much from the London conference. The agenda — increasing humanitarian assistance to the long-suffering Syrian people and railing against President Bashar al-Assad’s expected victory in the upcoming elections, excite little interest or enthusiasm. More broadly, there is nothing much to get excited about in the Western-managed process.
One well-informed Egyptian diplomat said, “US officials tell us openly, ‘We do not have a policy on Syria.’ In fact, they don't have to tell us. This is not meant as a criticism. It is simply a fact. There is no policy.”
Abdel Fattah al-Sisi himself sets the tone for Egypt’s Syria policy, explaining recently to Sky News Arabia, “We have to find a peaceful exit as a solution.”
