UK foreign minister visits Syria, re-establishes ties
According to a statement from the Syrian presidency, the meeting was attended by Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani and focused on bilateral relations and ways to strengthen co-operation between the two countries.
The discussions also touched on regional and international developments.
European countries have been slowly resetting their approach to Syria since insurgent forces led by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham ousted Bashar al-Assad as president in December following more than 13 years of war.
Today in Damascus I met with President Al-Sharaa and FM @AsaadHShaibani. I welcomed progress made and stressed the need for an inclusive and representative political transition.The UK stands ready to support the new Syrian Government. pic.twitter.com/uKGDwIcJdT— David Lammy (@DavidLammy) July 5, 2025
In a separate session, Foreign Minister al-Shibani held an extended meeting with Lammy to discuss enhancing political dialogue and co-operation across various areas of mutual interest.
Lammy discussed discuss bilateral co-operation, political transition and regional security and emphasised UK support for Syria's reconstruction, inclusive governance and justice for victims of the former regime, according to a statement issued by the UK Foreign Office.
The UK also announced new funding, including £2 million ($A4.2 million) to support the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in eliminating any remaining chemical weapons in Syria.
The UK also pledged £94.5 million in humanitarian and development aid to support Syrian livelihoods, education and countries hosting Syrian refugees.
Lammy also met with Syrian Civil Defence (White Helmets) teams and women-led businesses supported by UK aid programs.
A stable Syria is in the UK's interest, he said.
The UK suspended its diplomatic relations with Syria in mid-2012 following the escalation of anti-government protests and civil unrest.
with Reuters
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The Advertiser
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UK foreign minister visits Syria, re-establishes ties
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has received UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy in Damascus, marking the first visit by a senior United Kingdom official to Syria since diplomatic ties were severed more than a decade ago. According to a statement from the Syrian presidency, the meeting was attended by Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani and focused on bilateral relations and ways to strengthen co-operation between the two countries. The discussions also touched on regional and international developments. European countries have been slowly resetting their approach to Syria since insurgent forces led by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham ousted Bashar al-Assad as president in December following more than 13 years of war. In a separate session, Foreign Minister al-Shibani held an extended meeting with Lammy to discuss enhancing political dialogue and co-operation across various areas of mutual interest. Lammy discussed discuss bilateral co-operation, political transition and regional security and emphasised UK support for Syria's reconstruction, inclusive governance and justice for victims of the former regime, according to a statement issued by the UK Foreign Office. The UK also announced new funding, including £2 million ($A4.2 million) to support the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in eliminating any remaining chemical weapons in Syria. The UK also pledged £94.5 million in humanitarian and development aid to support Syrian livelihoods, education and countries hosting Syrian refugees. Lammy also met with Syrian Civil Defence (White Helmets) teams and women-led businesses supported by UK aid programs. A stable Syria is in the UK's interest, he said. The UK suspended its diplomatic relations with Syria in mid-2012 following the escalation of anti-government protests and civil unrest. with Reuters Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has received UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy in Damascus, marking the first visit by a senior United Kingdom official to Syria since diplomatic ties were severed more than a decade ago. According to a statement from the Syrian presidency, the meeting was attended by Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani and focused on bilateral relations and ways to strengthen co-operation between the two countries. The discussions also touched on regional and international developments. European countries have been slowly resetting their approach to Syria since insurgent forces led by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham ousted Bashar al-Assad as president in December following more than 13 years of war. In a separate session, Foreign Minister al-Shibani held an extended meeting with Lammy to discuss enhancing political dialogue and co-operation across various areas of mutual interest. Lammy discussed discuss bilateral co-operation, political transition and regional security and emphasised UK support for Syria's reconstruction, inclusive governance and justice for victims of the former regime, according to a statement issued by the UK Foreign Office. The UK also announced new funding, including £2 million ($A4.2 million) to support the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in eliminating any remaining chemical weapons in Syria. The UK also pledged £94.5 million in humanitarian and development aid to support Syrian livelihoods, education and countries hosting Syrian refugees. Lammy also met with Syrian Civil Defence (White Helmets) teams and women-led businesses supported by UK aid programs. A stable Syria is in the UK's interest, he said. The UK suspended its diplomatic relations with Syria in mid-2012 following the escalation of anti-government protests and civil unrest. with Reuters Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has received UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy in Damascus, marking the first visit by a senior United Kingdom official to Syria since diplomatic ties were severed more than a decade ago. According to a statement from the Syrian presidency, the meeting was attended by Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani and focused on bilateral relations and ways to strengthen co-operation between the two countries. The discussions also touched on regional and international developments. European countries have been slowly resetting their approach to Syria since insurgent forces led by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham ousted Bashar al-Assad as president in December following more than 13 years of war. In a separate session, Foreign Minister al-Shibani held an extended meeting with Lammy to discuss enhancing political dialogue and co-operation across various areas of mutual interest. Lammy discussed discuss bilateral co-operation, political transition and regional security and emphasised UK support for Syria's reconstruction, inclusive governance and justice for victims of the former regime, according to a statement issued by the UK Foreign Office. The UK also announced new funding, including £2 million ($A4.2 million) to support the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in eliminating any remaining chemical weapons in Syria. The UK also pledged £94.5 million in humanitarian and development aid to support Syrian livelihoods, education and countries hosting Syrian refugees. Lammy also met with Syrian Civil Defence (White Helmets) teams and women-led businesses supported by UK aid programs. A stable Syria is in the UK's interest, he said. The UK suspended its diplomatic relations with Syria in mid-2012 following the escalation of anti-government protests and civil unrest. with Reuters Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has received UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy in Damascus, marking the first visit by a senior United Kingdom official to Syria since diplomatic ties were severed more than a decade ago. According to a statement from the Syrian presidency, the meeting was attended by Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani and focused on bilateral relations and ways to strengthen co-operation between the two countries. The discussions also touched on regional and international developments. European countries have been slowly resetting their approach to Syria since insurgent forces led by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham ousted Bashar al-Assad as president in December following more than 13 years of war. In a separate session, Foreign Minister al-Shibani held an extended meeting with Lammy to discuss enhancing political dialogue and co-operation across various areas of mutual interest. Lammy discussed discuss bilateral co-operation, political transition and regional security and emphasised UK support for Syria's reconstruction, inclusive governance and justice for victims of the former regime, according to a statement issued by the UK Foreign Office. The UK also announced new funding, including £2 million ($A4.2 million) to support the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in eliminating any remaining chemical weapons in Syria. The UK also pledged £94.5 million in humanitarian and development aid to support Syrian livelihoods, education and countries hosting Syrian refugees. Lammy also met with Syrian Civil Defence (White Helmets) teams and women-led businesses supported by UK aid programs. A stable Syria is in the UK's interest, he said. The UK suspended its diplomatic relations with Syria in mid-2012 following the escalation of anti-government protests and civil unrest. with Reuters
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UK foreign minister visits Syria, re-establishes ties
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has received UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy in Damascus, marking the first visit by a senior United Kingdom official to Syria since diplomatic ties were severed more than a decade ago. According to a statement from the Syrian presidency, the meeting was attended by Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani and focused on bilateral relations and ways to strengthen co-operation between the two countries. The discussions also touched on regional and international developments. European countries have been slowly resetting their approach to Syria since insurgent forces led by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham ousted Bashar al-Assad as president in December following more than 13 years of war. Today in Damascus I met with President Al-Sharaa and FM @AsaadHShaibani. I welcomed progress made and stressed the need for an inclusive and representative political UK stands ready to support the new Syrian Government. David Lammy (@DavidLammy) July 5, 2025 In a separate session, Foreign Minister al-Shibani held an extended meeting with Lammy to discuss enhancing political dialogue and co-operation across various areas of mutual interest. Lammy discussed discuss bilateral co-operation, political transition and regional security and emphasised UK support for Syria's reconstruction, inclusive governance and justice for victims of the former regime, according to a statement issued by the UK Foreign Office. The UK also announced new funding, including £2 million ($A4.2 million) to support the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in eliminating any remaining chemical weapons in Syria. The UK also pledged £94.5 million in humanitarian and development aid to support Syrian livelihoods, education and countries hosting Syrian refugees. Lammy also met with Syrian Civil Defence (White Helmets) teams and women-led businesses supported by UK aid programs. A stable Syria is in the UK's interest, he said. The UK suspended its diplomatic relations with Syria in mid-2012 following the escalation of anti-government protests and civil unrest. with Reuters
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Mr Bradley acted for Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi during her successful legal fight against fellow senator Pauline Hanson, who told her to "piss off back to Pakistan" in a racist social media post. He believes the dispute was a "turning point" for racial discrimination cases because it provided a "fresh understanding" of the outer limits of acceptable speech. The decision helped inform the Federal Court's ruling on Tuesday against Islamist preacher Wissam Haddad, who called Jewish people "vile" and "treacherous" in a series of sermons. Justice Angus Stewart found the speeches contained "fundamentally racist and anti-Semitic" tropes and made "perverse generalisations" about Jewish people. He ordered they be removed from social media and directed Mr Haddad not to publicly repeat similar statements. The judge's conclusion that criticism of Israel or Zionist ideology is not inherently anti-Semitic was of particular interest to Mr Bradley. "It's an important point given a lot of the campaigning activity going on against people who speak out against Israel's actions or for the Palestinian people," he remarked. "Hopefully it will provide a bit of guidance for other cases or disputes that are brewing." He will be acting in one such case, recently filed against two University of Sydney academics accused of anti-Semitism. Constitutional law expert Murray Wesson agreed the "very difficult boundary" between criticism of Israel and anti-Semitism was not fully resolved in the ruling against Mr Haddad. "It's going to be an ongoing matter for discussion," the University of Western Australia associate professor said. The section of the Racial Discrimination Act that prohibits offensive behaviour on the basis of race or ethnicity can be a "lightning rod" for contentious issues. "People tend to talk about the issues of the day and then you're likely to have people who will take that speech a little bit further, or much further," Assoc Prof Wesson said. He predicted more challenges under section 18C, which may have a higher profile due to political controversy. In 2014, Attorney-General George Brandis infamously declared people had "a right to be bigots" amid a later abandoned push to repeal the section. The provision largely lay dormant until "a bit of a flood" of recent discrimination cases, Mr Bradley said. "When a piece of law like this becomes trendy, there's always a risk that it's going to be overdone. "The way the courts have to date interpreted it, it does strike an appropriate balance and one that conforms to constitutional limitations (regarding freedom of speech)." But Assoc Prof Wesson suggested the language could be amended to clarify the threshold for harm is much higher than merely insulting or offending someone. 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The decision helped inform the Federal Court's ruling on Tuesday against Islamist preacher Wissam Haddad, who called Jewish people "vile" and "treacherous" in a series of sermons. Justice Angus Stewart found the speeches contained "fundamentally racist and anti-Semitic" tropes and made "perverse generalisations" about Jewish people. He ordered they be removed from social media and directed Mr Haddad not to publicly repeat similar statements. The judge's conclusion that criticism of Israel or Zionist ideology is not inherently anti-Semitic was of particular interest to Mr Bradley. "It's an important point given a lot of the campaigning activity going on against people who speak out against Israel's actions or for the Palestinian people," he remarked. "Hopefully it will provide a bit of guidance for other cases or disputes that are brewing." He will be acting in one such case, recently filed against two University of Sydney academics accused of anti-Semitism. Constitutional law expert Murray Wesson agreed the "very difficult boundary" between criticism of Israel and anti-Semitism was not fully resolved in the ruling against Mr Haddad. "It's going to be an ongoing matter for discussion," the University of Western Australia associate professor said. The section of the Racial Discrimination Act that prohibits offensive behaviour on the basis of race or ethnicity can be a "lightning rod" for contentious issues. "People tend to talk about the issues of the day and then you're likely to have people who will take that speech a little bit further, or much further," Assoc Prof Wesson said. He predicted more challenges under section 18C, which may have a higher profile due to political controversy. In 2014, Attorney-General George Brandis infamously declared people had "a right to be bigots" amid a later abandoned push to repeal the section. The provision largely lay dormant until "a bit of a flood" of recent discrimination cases, Mr Bradley said. "When a piece of law like this becomes trendy, there's always a risk that it's going to be overdone. "The way the courts have to date interpreted it, it does strike an appropriate balance and one that conforms to constitutional limitations (regarding freedom of speech)." But Assoc Prof Wesson suggested the language could be amended to clarify the threshold for harm is much higher than merely insulting or offending someone. Although the disputes surrounding section 18C appear to have subsided, he suspects there may be further controversy in its future. Increasingly racist rhetoric and contentious issues such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have galvanised a surge in racial discrimination cases not expected to ease anytime soon. The increase reflects a rise in public racism in Australia, according to prominent lawyer Michael Bradley. "People have felt a lot more free than they have for a long time to be racist in public and so that requires a response," he said. Mr Bradley acted for Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi during her successful legal fight against fellow senator Pauline Hanson, who told her to "piss off back to Pakistan" in a racist social media post. He believes the dispute was a "turning point" for racial discrimination cases because it provided a "fresh understanding" of the outer limits of acceptable speech. The decision helped inform the Federal Court's ruling on Tuesday against Islamist preacher Wissam Haddad, who called Jewish people "vile" and "treacherous" in a series of sermons. Justice Angus Stewart found the speeches contained "fundamentally racist and anti-Semitic" tropes and made "perverse generalisations" about Jewish people. He ordered they be removed from social media and directed Mr Haddad not to publicly repeat similar statements. The judge's conclusion that criticism of Israel or Zionist ideology is not inherently anti-Semitic was of particular interest to Mr Bradley. "It's an important point given a lot of the campaigning activity going on against people who speak out against Israel's actions or for the Palestinian people," he remarked. "Hopefully it will provide a bit of guidance for other cases or disputes that are brewing." He will be acting in one such case, recently filed against two University of Sydney academics accused of anti-Semitism. Constitutional law expert Murray Wesson agreed the "very difficult boundary" between criticism of Israel and anti-Semitism was not fully resolved in the ruling against Mr Haddad. "It's going to be an ongoing matter for discussion," the University of Western Australia associate professor said. The section of the Racial Discrimination Act that prohibits offensive behaviour on the basis of race or ethnicity can be a "lightning rod" for contentious issues. "People tend to talk about the issues of the day and then you're likely to have people who will take that speech a little bit further, or much further," Assoc Prof Wesson said. He predicted more challenges under section 18C, which may have a higher profile due to political controversy. In 2014, Attorney-General George Brandis infamously declared people had "a right to be bigots" amid a later abandoned push to repeal the section. The provision largely lay dormant until "a bit of a flood" of recent discrimination cases, Mr Bradley said. "When a piece of law like this becomes trendy, there's always a risk that it's going to be overdone. "The way the courts have to date interpreted it, it does strike an appropriate balance and one that conforms to constitutional limitations (regarding freedom of speech)." But Assoc Prof Wesson suggested the language could be amended to clarify the threshold for harm is much higher than merely insulting or offending someone. Although the disputes surrounding section 18C appear to have subsided, he suspects there may be further controversy in its future.
