Britain Restores Relations with Syria After 14 Years

SadaNews - The British government announced on Saturday the restoration of diplomatic relations with Syria, marking the first ministerial visit in 14 years.

Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara and his Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani met in the Syrian capital Damascus with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who arrived on Saturday.

The two sides discussed bilateral relations between the two countries and ways to enhance dialogue and cooperation in various areas of mutual interest.

Lammy also emphasized his country's support for the Syrian government in fulfilling its commitments to the international community.

Moreover, the British government announced an additional package of £94.5 million to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the Syrians.

Meanwhile, the Syrian presidency announced via X that al-Shara discussed regional and international developments with Lammy.

14 Years

It is noteworthy that with the outbreak of the Syrian revolution in 2011, the United Kingdom condemned the Assad regime for suppressing protests.

In 2012, Britain decided to withdraw all its diplomatic staff from Syria and suspend the operations of its embassy for security reasons.

The British stance reached a crossroads in 2013, following the chemical attack launched by the Syrian regime against civilians in the Ghouta of Damascus, where then-Prime Minister David Cameron proposed the idea of military intervention in Syria, but the majority in the House of Commons rejected it.