Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil al-Araby said on Sunday that it was important to begin a program of political reform in Syria, including comprehensive national dialogue. Araby said that a political reform program is "the only correct way to overcome the Syrian crisis, in order to achieve the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people for democracy and freedom, and to prevent the bloodshed of our Syrian neighbors." In a press statement following his meeting with Egypt's Ambassador to Damascus Shawki Ismail, Araby said, "Stability in Syria is directly linked to Egyptian and Arab national security." Araby stressed on the historical and strategic ties between Egypt and Syria. In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said that during his meeting with Ismail, Araby reviewed the latest "developments in the situation, as well as the prospects for the political crisis" in Syria. Since mid-March, Syria has been experiencing mass protests, which have been put down brutally in some cases, leading to more than a thousand deaths. The rising death toll has prompted the United States, the European Union and Australia to impose sanctions. According to reports prepared by human rights organizations in Damascus, the number of deaths currently stands at 1270 people, including women and children. Translated from the Arabic Edition
