Egypt's foreign minister to visit Syria, Turkey on Monday

FILE PHOTO: Egypt's Foreign Minister, Sameh Shoukry attends the opening of the 36th Ordinary session of the Assembly of the African Union at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia February 18, 2023. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri

(Reuters) -Egypt's Sameh Shoukry will travel to Damascus on Monday in the first visit by an Egyptian foreign minister since Syria's conflict erupted in 2011, according to a statement by the Egyptian foreign ministry.

Shoukry will visit Turkey and Syria - both hit hard by a deadly earthquake on Feb. 6 - to "convey a message of solidarity from Egypt with the two countries" according to the foreign ministry statement.