Egyptian FM, Blinken discuss recent developments in Syria

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty received a call from U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken Tuesday night on the recent developments in Syria, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

The two sides agreed on the importance of adopting a comprehensive political process that focuses on not excluding any Syrian national components or parties so as to pave the road for restoring stability in Syria.

Abdelattay reaffirmed Egypt's support for Syria's sovereignty, unity and land safety, according to the statement.

He emphasized Egypt's rejection of Israel's seizing control of the demilitarized buffer zone in the Golan Heights and other neighboring positions, terming it as an occupation of the Syrian territories and a blatant violation of international law.

He urged the international community to take its responsibilities to stop any assault on Syria.

For his part, Blinken emphasized the "historic opportunity" for the Syrian people to build a better future and reiterated the need for all actors in Syria to respect human rights, protect religious and ethnic minorities, and uphold international humanitarian law, according to a statement by the U.S. State Department.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has resigned and arrived in Russia for asylum as his government collapsed on Sunday following a sweeping offensive by Syrian militant groups.