Britain reestablishes full Syria ties as FM visits Damascus
Britain reestablished full diplomatic relations with Syria on Saturday, more than a decade after cutting ties, as Foreign Secretary David Lammy met the country's new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus.
In 2011, Britain was among the first countries to acknowledge rebel groups as the official Syrian government after then-president Bashar al-Assad's crushing of pro-democracy protests plunged the country into civil war.
London also joined sanctions against Syria and later closed its embassy in Damascus, going on to launch air strikes on Assad's forces.
Assad was ultimately toppled in December after more than 13 years of fighting by a rebel offensive led by Sharaa, now Syria's interim president.
"The UK is reestablishing 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," Lammy said in a statement.
Photos released by Sharaa's office showed him and Lammy meeting alongside Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani.
Their discussions addressed "bilateral ties... and ways of strengthening cooperation, as well as regional and international developments", the presidency said in a statement.
The Syrian foreign ministry issued a similar statement following a separate meeting between Lammy and Shaibani.
Lammy said a stable Syria would benefit Britain by "reducing the risk of irregular migration, ensuring the destruction of chemical weapons" and "tackling the threat of terrorism".
Britain's Foreign Office said Assad's overthrow was an opportunity to "fully declare and destroy Assad's evil chemical weapons program," adding that London had contributed an additional $2.7 million to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to help Syria do so.
In 2018, the UK joined US air strikes on Syria's chemical weapons in response to a suspected poison gas attack by Assad's forces.
- Sanctions lifted -
Syria has experienced a flurry of diplomatic activity in the months since Islamist-led forces ousted Assad.
In May, Syrian Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra met with an official British delegation, the defense ministry said at the time.
In April, the British government announced it was lifting sanctions imposed on Syria's interior and defense ministries under Assad.
It also said it was removing sanctions against various media groups and intelligence agencies, as well as on some sectors of the economy including financial services and energy production.
A month earlier, it ended sanctions on 24 entities including Syria's central bank.
The United States has also lifted sanctions on Syria and is planning to remove it from its list of state sponsors of terrorism.
Last month, Damascus carried out its first electronic transfer through the international banking system since the imposition of sanctions.
The growing international backing comes as Syria's new leaders attempt to rebuild the country and reboot its moribund economy, both ravaged by the conflict and crippling sanctions.
Britain's Foreign Office said London had committed an extra $129 million to provide "urgent humanitarian aid" and support Syria's reconstruction as well as countries hosting Syrian refugees.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Ya Libnan
3 hours ago
- Ya Libnan
Trump admits Gaza people are starving, says number one priority now is feeding them
Yazan, a malnourished 2-year-old Palestinian boy, sits with his brothers at their family's damaged home in the Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City, on July 23, 2025 [Omar al-Qatta/AFP] U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday the number one priority in Gaza was getting people fed, because 'you have a lot of starving people', adding that he was not going to take a position on Palestinian statehood at the moment. Trump, speaking alongside British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at his golf resort in Turnberry, Scotland, said the United States had provided $60 million for humanitarian aid, and other nations would have to step up. He said he discussed the issue with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Sunday, and she told him European countries would step up their assistance very substantially. He said he also planned to discuss the humanitarian situation with Starmer during his visit on Monday. 'We're giving a lot of money and a lot of food, and other nations are now stepping up,' Trump said. 'It's a mess. They have to get food and safety right now.' Starmer agreed, saying: 'It's a humanitarian crisis, right? It's an absolute catastrophe…. I think people in Britain are revolted at seeing what they're seeing on their screen.' Trump said he would not comment on a push by French President Emmanuel Macron to back Palestinian statehood. Trump also criticized the Hamas militant group for not agreeing to release more hostages, living and dead, and said he had told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel's approach would likely have to change. 'I told Bibi that you have to maybe do it a different way,' Trump said, echoing similar comments made on Sunday. Asked if a ceasefire was still possible, Trump said, 'Yeah, a ceasefire is possible, but you have to get it, you have to end it.' He did not elaborate on what he meant. Trump underscored the importance of securing the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, saying the Palestinian group had changed its position and was refusing to release more hostages. Hamas has said it is willing to release hostages under a ceasefire agreement with Israel. It submitted its response to a U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal on Thursday at talks in Doha. Hours later, Israel withdrew its delegation from the talks. On Sunday, Trump said Israel would have to make a decision on next steps, adding, 'I know what I'd do, but I don't think it's appropriate that I say it.' 14 died of starvation and malnutrition The new fatalities brought the death toll from starvation in Gaza since October 2023 to 147, including 88 children. Israel carried out an air drop and announced a series of measures over the weekend to improve access for aid, including daily humanitarian pauses in three areas of Gaza and new safe corridors for convoys. U.N. agencies say those moves are not yet sufficient to alleviate famine-like conditions facing Gazans. On Monday, the Gaza health ministry said at least 14 people had died in the past 24 hours of starvation and malnutrition, bringing the war's death toll from hunger to 147, including 89 children, most in just the last few weeks. Israel cut off all supplies to Gaza from the start of March, reopening the territory with new restrictions in May. Israel says it abides by international law but must prevent aid from being diverted by militants, and blames Hamas for the suffering of Gaza's people. 'Israel is presented as though we are applying a campaign of starvation in Gaza. What a bald-faced lie. There is no policy of starvation in Gaza, and there is no starvation in Gaza,' Netanyahu claimed on Sunday. Reuters
L'Orient-Le Jour
4 hours ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Damascus, Tel Aviv attempt de-escalation in Paris, no concrete agreement
Although no final agreement was reached, Thursday's meeting in Paris between Israeli and Syrian representatives was described as 'honest and responsible.' The representatives gathered to discuss a potential de-escalation of tensions in southern Syria — a zone recently plagued by deadly clashes between Druze factions and Bedouin tribes in high-level talks brought together Ron Dermer, Israeli minister for strategic affairs and a close advisor to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Syria's Foreign Minister Assaad al-Shaibani, mediated by U.S. Special Envoy for Syria Tom two sides had not engaged in such discussions for more than 25 years. The path forward After Sweida violence, Sharaa shaken but not defeated The goal of the summit was to reach a security agreement concerning southern Syria, in order to...
Nahar Net
4 hours ago
- Nahar Net
How US-EU trade deal wards off more escalation but could raise costs
by Naharnet Newsdesk 28 July 2025, 16:24 U.S. President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen have announced a sweeping trade deal that imposes 15% tariffs on most European goods, warding off Trump's threat of a 30% rate if no deal had been reached by Aug. 1. The tariffs, or import taxes, paid when Americans buy European products could raise prices for U.S. consumers and dent profits for European companies and their partners who bring goods into the country. Here are some things to know about the trade deal between the United States and the European Union: Unresolved details Trump and von der Leyen's announcement, made during Trump's visit to one of his golf courses in Scotland, leaves many details to be filled in. The headline figure is a 15% tariff rate on about 70% of European goods brought into the U.S., including cars, computer chips and pharmaceuticals. It's lower than the 20% that Trump initially proposed, and lower than his threats of 50% and then 30%. The remaining 30% is still open to further decisions and negotiations. Von der Leyen said that the two sides agreed on zero tariffs on both sides for a range of "strategic" goods: Aircraft and aircraft parts, certain chemicals, semiconductor equipment, certain agricultural products and some natural resources and critical raw materials. Specifics were lacking. She said that the two sides "would keep working" to add more products to the list. Additionally, EU companies would purchase what Trump said was $750 billion (638 billion euros) worth of natural gas, oil and nuclear fuel over three years to replace Russian energy supplies that Europe is seeking to exit in any case. Meanwhile, European companies would invest an additional $600 billion (511 billion euros) in the U.S. under a political commitment that isn't legally binding, officials said. Not yet in writing Brussels and Washington will shortly issue a joint statement that frames the deal but isn't yet legally binding, according to senior officials who weren't authorized to be publicly named according to European Commission policy. The joint statement will have "some very precise commitments and others which will need to be spelled out in different ways," a senior European Commission official said. EU officials said that the zero tariff list would include nuts, pet food, dairy products and seafood. Steel tariff remains Trump said that the 50% U.S. tariff on imported steel would remain. Von der Leyen said that the two sides agreed to further negotiations to fight a global steel glut, reduce tariffs and establish import quotas — that is, set amounts that can be imported, often at a lower rate or tariff-free. Trump said that pharmaceuticals weren't included in the deal. Von der Leyen said that the pharmaceuticals issue was "on a separate sheet of paper" from Sunday's deal. And von der Leyen said that when it came to farm products, the EU side made clear that "there were tariffs that could not be lowered," without specifying which products. 'Best we could do' The 15% rate removes Trump's threat of a 30% tariff. But it effectively raises the tariff on EU goods from 1.2% last year to 17% and would reduce the 27-nation's gross domestic product by 0.5%, said Jack Allen-Reynolds, deputy chief eurozone economist at Capital Economics. Higher tariffs, or import taxes, on European goods mean sellers in the U.S. would have to either increase prices for consumers — risking loss of market share — or swallow the added cost in terms of lower profits. The higher tariffs are expected to hurt export earnings for European firms and slow the economy. Von der Leyen said that the 15% rate was "the best we could do" and credited the deal with maintaining access to the U.S. market, and providing "stability and predictability for companies on both sides." Mixed reaction German Chancellor Friedrich Merz welcomed the deal which avoided "an unnecessary escalation in trans-Atlantic trade relations" and said that "we were able to preserve our core interests," while adding that "I would have very much wished for further relief in trans-Atlantic trade." Senior French officials on Monday criticized the accord. Strategy Commissioner Clément Beaune said that the deal failed to reflect the bloc's economic strength. "This is an unequal and unbalanced agreement," he said. "Europe didn't wield its strength. We are the world's leading trading power." While the rate is lower than threatened, "the big caveat to today's deal is that there is nothing on paper, yet," said Carsten Brzeski, global chief of macro at ING bank. "With this disclaimer in mind and at face value, (the) agreement would clearly bring an end to the uncertainty of recent months. An escalation of the U.S.-EU trade tensions would have been a severe risk for the global economy," Brzeski said. "This risk seems to have been avoided." Car prices Asked if European carmakers could still sell cars at 15%, von der Leyen said the rate was much lower than the current 27.5%. That has been the rate under Trump's 25% tariff on cars from all countries, plus the preexisting U.S. car tariff of 2.5%. The impact is likely to be substantial on some companies, given that automaker Volkswagen said that it suffered a 1.3 billion-euro ($1.5 billion) hit to profits in the first half of the year from the higher tariffs. Mercedes-Benz dealers in the U.S. have said they were holding the line on 2025 model year prices "until further notice." The German automaker has a partial tariff shield, because it makes 35% of the Mercedes-Benz vehicles sold in the U.S. in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, but the company said that it expects prices to undergo "significant increases" in coming years. Trade gap Before Trump returned to office, the U.S. and the EU maintained generally low tariff levels in what is the largest bilateral trading relationship in the world, with around 1.7 trillion euros ($2 trillion) in annual trade. Together the U.S. and the EU have 44% of the global economy. The U.S. rate averaged 1.47% for European goods, while the EU has averaged 1.35% for American products, according to the Bruegel think tank in Brussels. Trump has complained about the EU's 198 billion-euro ($232.5 billion) trade surplus in goods, which shows Americans buy more from European businesses than the other way around, and has said that the European market isn't open enough for U.S.-made cars. However, American companies fill some of the trade gap by outselling the EU when it comes to services such as cloud computing, travel bookings and legal and financial services. And about 30% of European imports are from American-owned companies, according to the European Central Bank.
