Cairo: Egypt’s president has expressed support for Syrian President Bashar Al Assad’s military in remarks likely to irk Egypt’s Arab allies who back Syrian rebels in the civil war.
Abdul Fattah Al Sissi said in an interview with the Portuguese TV network RTP that Syrian government forces are best positioned to combat terrorism and restore stability in the war-torn nation.
Asked if he’d send Egyptian peacekeepers to Syria under a peace deal, Al Sissi said that there were “sensitivities” associated with it, adding that “it is better that the national army take responsibility” and that his priority is to “support the national army” of Syria.
“Syria has been for five years suffering a deep crisis. Our stance is that we respect the will of the Syrian people,” the Egyptian president said, stressing that a political settlement is the best solution to the current conflict.
Cairo and Riyadh are at odds over the war in Syria. Egypt angered its top financial backer last month when it backed Russian and French draft resolutions on Syria at the UN Security Council.
