CAIRO: President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi has spoken by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin and discussed ways of advancing bilateral relations and the latest regional developments.
“The duo also discussed the outcome of Syrian President Bashar Al Assad’s visit to Moscow Wednesday,” a presidential statement said.
Assad has made a surprise visit to Moscow Tuesday for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on coordinating military action in Syria, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said to reporters Wednesday.
In the phone call, Sisi stressed Egypt’s stance in support of the international efforts to settle the Syrian crisis. “The president reiterated the importance of reaching a political settlement in coordination with regional and international powers, noting that such a settlement should secure the territorial integrity of Syria, preserve the state and its institutions, and uphold the will and choices of the Syrian people,” according to the statement.
Syria has been in a civil war since 2011, with large swathes of the country currently under the control of the Islamic State group.