Egypt cancels visa fees for Syrians to ease tensions

PanARMENIAN.Net - Egypt said on Monday, July 22 it would cancel visa fees for Syrians, the latest effort to ease diplomatic tensions between the two Arab states after the army ousted President Mohamed Morsithis month, according to Reuters.

Mursi, a member of the Sunni Muslim Brotherhood, had cut off diplomatic relations with Syria, led by Shi'ite President Bashar al-Assad, last month at a rally packed with hardline fellow Islamists calling for holy war in Syria.

Egypt's army-backed administration that replaced Morsihas since tried to distance itself from his position, which analysts say could signal a desire to return to a role as a more neutral broker in the civil war.

Egypt's radio broadcast the news about the change in policy on Syrian visa on its main noon news show on Monday and said it was "meant to comfort the Syrian people".

Foreign Ministry spokesman Badr Abdelatty told Reuters the removal of the visa fees was "a sign of our full support for the Syrian people during this difficult period".

Egypt still supported the "revolution" of the Syrian people, he added, but did not say if that included their call to oust Assad. Morsi repeatedly had called on Assad to step down.

"We did it in order to ease the burden on our Syrian brothers," foreign ministry spokesman Abdelatty said.

Syrians will still have to apply for visas, a measure introduced this month after media and some officials accused Syrian Sunni-Muslims of joining Mursi's supporters in their clashes with the military. More than 100 people were killed in the clashes.