Relationship dossier
Egypt
Syria
Relationship assessment
Relations have thawed after Egypt severed ties with Syria in 2013, with renewed high-level engagement in later years.
Egypt toward Syria
+20Egypt severed diplomatic ties with Syria in 2013 amid the Syrian conflict. It later renewed high-level engagement, including Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry's visit to Damascus in February 2023 and support for Syria's return to the Arab League.
Syria toward Egypt
+15Syrian President Bashar al-Assad received Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry during his February 2023 visit to Damascus, a concrete instance of renewed high-level engagement.
Overall relationship
+15The relationship combines a severe diplomatic rupture during the Syrian conflict with later efforts to restore regional and bilateral engagement. Egypt's support for Syria's return to the Arab League and renewed high-level contacts mark a thaw, but the scope of sustained bilateral cooperation is unclear.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Egyptian-Syrian relations underwent a major rupture during the Syrian conflict, including Egypt's severing of diplomatic ties in 2013. In later years Egypt pursued renewed engagement, including high-level contact and support for Syria's return to the Arab League. The relationship has thawed, though the extent and durability of practical bilateral cooperation remain unclear.
Areas of tension
- Egypt severed diplomatic ties with Syria in 2013 amid the Syrian conflict.
Key developments
Egypt severed diplomatic ties with Syria amid the Syrian conflict.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry visited Damascus and met Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, renewing high-level contact.
Egypt supported Syria's return to the Arab League.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of renewed bilateral cooperation are unclear.
- The extent of routine diplomatic and government-to-government engagement is uncertain.