The most notable attempt was a February meeting in Ankara between Syrian Foreign Minister Asad al-Shaybani and his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abd al-Ati, mediated by Turkey. Since then, Egypt has hardened its stance. 

In early June, an Egyptian administrative court agreed to hear a political lawsuit against Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara, accusing him of systematic human rights abuses against religious and ethnic minorities, especially in the coastal region. This move contradicts EU reports that attribute those abuses to remnants of the former Assad regime.

At the same time, Egypt has tightened restrictions on Syrian students in its universities. Measures include stricter procedures for issuing official documents, banning reentry to Egypt after visits to Syria, and suspending registrations of students lacking new documentation.

Cairo worried by Syria's new model

Egyptian authorities have been uneasy ever since Assad’s fall in a military operation led by Syrian opposition factions, primarily the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. 

Egyptians arrested Syrians celebrating Assad’s fall, blocked the raising of Syria’s new flag at the embassy in Cairo, and increased restrictions on Syrians’ residency permits.

Tensions have grown with the unexpected international acceptance of the new Syrian government, despite its Islamist roots. Countries usually wary of Islamist regimes—like France and the UAE—have opened up to Syria, hosting officials and signing economic deals. 

Remarkably, Syria’s new leadership is using rhetoric that breaks from past Islamist regimes: it emphasizes citizenship, state governance, and rejects exporting revolution.