CAIRO — Egypt has recently upped its role in the Syrian crisis, sponsoring a new de-escalation deal in Syria’s Homs on Aug. 2. This came after Egypt succeeded in mediating a cease-fire agreement in Eastern Ghouta after hosting three days of negotiations in Cairo between representatives of some Syrian opposition factions and the Russian Defense Ministry.
The negotiations led to the signing of agreements involving the de-escalation zone in Eastern Ghouta. A statement released by the Russian Defense Ministry on July 22 said, “These documents define the borders of the de-escalation zone, the deployment sites, and powers of the de-escalation control forces, as well as the routes for delivering humanitarian aid and free passage to the residents.”