UK re-establishes diplomatic relations with Syria as Lammy visits
The Foreign Secretary has visited Damascus, the first visit to the country by a UK minister for 14 years, and met with President Ahmed Al-Sharaa and foreign minister Asaad al-Shaibani.
The Assad regime collapsed in December last year after rebels led by proscribed group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) stormed the capital Damascus, forcing the then-president to flee after 24 years in charge.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has also announced £94.5 million for humanitarian aid for Syrians.
Mr Lammy said: 'As the first UK Minister to visit Syria since the fall of Assad's brutal regime, I've seen first-hand the remarkable progress Syrians have made in rebuilding their lives and their country.
'After over a decade of conflict, there is renewed hope for the Syrian people.
'The UK is re-establishing diplomatic relations because it is in our interests to support the new government to deliver their commitment to build a stable, more secure and prosperous future for all Syrians.
'A stable Syria is in the UK's interests, reducing the risk of irregular migration, ensuring the destruction of chemical weapons, tackling the threat of terrorism and delivering the Government's plan for change.'
In April, the UK lifted a raft of sanctions against Syria that had been imposed under the Assad regime, including those on the interior and defence ministries.
The Syrian president's office said on Saturday said that the president and Mr Lammy discussed co-operation, as well as the latest developments in the Middle East.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South Wales Guardian
2 hours ago
- South Wales Guardian
Macron presses for recognition of Palestine as ‘only path to peace'
The French president said a ceasefire was a matter of 'absolute urgency' and that a two-state solution would bring security to the region. He said: 'We are aware that a political way out is crucial, and I believe in the future of the two-state solution as a basis for regional security architecture which will enable Israel to live in peace and security alongside its neighbours. 'But I want to be clear, calling today for a ceasefire in Gaza without any condition, is just telling to the rest of the world that for us as Europeans, there is no double standard, and as we are attached to human lives, as we are attached to territorial integrity, we want the ceasefire, no discussion. 'And today, working together in order to recognise the state of Palestine and to initiate this political momentum is the only path to peace.' David Lammy had earlier refused to set a time frame for when the UK would recognise Palestinian statehood. The Foreign Secretary was asked at the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee when the timing would be right to recognise statehood. He said: 'I'm not going to set it to a set time frame, because I've explained that this is a moving, live situation. 'There are delicate ceasefire negotiations under way. I've explained the issues that sit within that, and whether we will get a… ceasefire. I'm hopeful that we will.' Mr Lammy said he was in talks with French and Saudi colleagues on recognition, but that he wanted to see change on the ground. He said that 'despite the recognition movement, actually what we've seen is further annexation on the West Bank' and 'it has not led to get us getting closer to a process, it's led to further annexation'. Mr Lammy said he 'would prefer it was part of the process' and that he believed 'our French colleagues are also waiting to see if there is, in fact, a ceasefire in the next few days' to kickstart a process and that the UK Government remained 'completely committed' to recognition.
Glasgow Times
3 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
Macron presses for recognition of Palestine as ‘only path to peace'
The French president said a ceasefire was a matter of 'absolute urgency' and that a two-state solution would bring security to the region. He said: 'We are aware that a political way out is crucial, and I believe in the future of the two-state solution as a basis for regional security architecture which will enable Israel to live in peace and security alongside its neighbours. French president Emmanuel Macron said a ceasefire was a matter of 'absolute urgency' (Alistair Grant/PA) 'But I want to be clear, calling today for a ceasefire in Gaza without any condition, is just telling to the rest of the world that for us as Europeans, there is no double standard, and as we are attached to human lives, as we are attached to territorial integrity, we want the ceasefire, no discussion. 'And today, working together in order to recognise the state of Palestine and to initiate this political momentum is the only path to peace.' David Lammy had earlier refused to set a time frame for when the UK would recognise Palestinian statehood. The Foreign Secretary was asked at the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee when the timing would be right to recognise statehood. He said: 'I'm not going to set it to a set time frame, because I've explained that this is a moving, live situation. Foreign Secretary David Lammy said he was in talks with French and Saudi colleagues on recognition (Stefan Rousseau/PA) 'There are delicate ceasefire negotiations under way. I've explained the issues that sit within that, and whether we will get a… ceasefire. I'm hopeful that we will.' Mr Lammy said he was in talks with French and Saudi colleagues on recognition, but that he wanted to see change on the ground. He said that 'despite the recognition movement, actually what we've seen is further annexation on the West Bank' and 'it has not led to get us getting closer to a process, it's led to further annexation'. Mr Lammy said he 'would prefer it was part of the process' and that he believed 'our French colleagues are also waiting to see if there is, in fact, a ceasefire in the next few days' to kickstart a process and that the UK Government remained 'completely committed' to recognition.
Leader Live
3 hours ago
- Leader Live
Macron presses for recognition of Palestine as ‘only path to peace'
The French president said a ceasefire was a matter of 'absolute urgency' and that a two-state solution would bring security to the region. He said: 'We are aware that a political way out is crucial, and I believe in the future of the two-state solution as a basis for regional security architecture which will enable Israel to live in peace and security alongside its neighbours. 'But I want to be clear, calling today for a ceasefire in Gaza without any condition, is just telling to the rest of the world that for us as Europeans, there is no double standard, and as we are attached to human lives, as we are attached to territorial integrity, we want the ceasefire, no discussion. 'And today, working together in order to recognise the state of Palestine and to initiate this political momentum is the only path to peace.' David Lammy had earlier refused to set a time frame for when the UK would recognise Palestinian statehood. The Foreign Secretary was asked at the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee when the timing would be right to recognise statehood. He said: 'I'm not going to set it to a set time frame, because I've explained that this is a moving, live situation. 'There are delicate ceasefire negotiations under way. I've explained the issues that sit within that, and whether we will get a… ceasefire. I'm hopeful that we will.' Mr Lammy said he was in talks with French and Saudi colleagues on recognition, but that he wanted to see change on the ground. He said that 'despite the recognition movement, actually what we've seen is further annexation on the West Bank' and 'it has not led to get us getting closer to a process, it's led to further annexation'. Mr Lammy said he 'would prefer it was part of the process' and that he believed 'our French colleagues are also waiting to see if there is, in fact, a ceasefire in the next few days' to kickstart a process and that the UK Government remained 'completely committed' to recognition.
