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Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara offered co-operation with the UK on its migration priorities during high-level meetings that included talks with Prime Minister Keir Starmer on the Iran war.
The Syrian leader was in London on Tuesday for meetings at Downing Street and the Houses of Parliament, in the latest leg of a European tour. He met Attorney General Richard Hermer and Shabana Mahmood, the Home Secretary who lived for a time in the same city as Mr Al Shara.
He told the Chatham House think tank that Syria would not choose sides but said its preference was for the issue to settled through negotiations rather than conflict. Mr Al Shara recognised that the war was harming the region economically but did not gloss over the new Syrian government's legacy with Iran.
“We have a problem with Iran in Damascus, not in Tehran,” he said, adding that the state would fulfil its duty to secure its borders by preventing arms shipments to the Iranian proxy Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Syria's new government is heavily focused on the economy. “We are transforming Syria into a place that is utilising its strategic and economic location in the region,” he said.
Britain and Syria discussed full diplomatic relations and boosting economic ties but there was no announcement on reopening the embassies. “We are enhancing trust and fully ready,” Mr Al Shara said.
Damascus promotes a future energy role as a conduit to European markets. Relations between the UK and Syria were severed after the brutal crackdown by the regime of ousted president Bashar Al Assad on its own people. But ties are slowly being rebuilt.
War in the region featured heavily in official summary of the discussion with Mr Starmer.
“On the continuing conflict in the Middle East, they both affirmed the importance of avoiding further escalation and restoring stability in the region,” the summary read. “They discussed the need for a viable plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, in the face of the severe economic impact of prolonged closure, and agreed to work with others to restore freedom of navigation.”
A day after a trip to Germany in which the government set a target of 80 per cent of the nearly one million Syrians returning to their homeland, Mr Al Shara's talks in London included a potential returns agreement for Syrians who do not have the right to stay in the UK.
“He set out how he hoped to make further progress on the issue of migration, including closer work together on returns, on border security and on tackling people-smuggling networks,” the statement added.
“They agreed that regeneration of infrastructure would be vital for Syria’s economic transition, and discussed opportunities for British businesses across several sectors to play a role in this.”
Drumming up business
At an event with British and Syrian business leaders later that evening, Mr Al Shara called Syria “one of the best investment opportunities in the world.”
“We are proud of Syria and it is beautiful anyway, whether it is built or destroyed,” he said.
“It is important to invest in this historic moment in our lives,” he said, adding that he would also invest in “every person displaced by the former regime”.
Mr Al Shara later joined a closed discussion with British companies seeking to invest in Syria, which was organised by the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office.
Minister for the Middle East Hamish Falconer said before the meeting that they would discuss “UK export finance potentially providing support alongside other countries”.
The UK government would be “on hand” as Syria seeks investment from the British private sector, Mr Falconer said.
“I look forward to seeing British expertise and capabilities contribute to projects across Syria in energy, finance, security, telecoms and beyond,” he said.
“Colleagues across the British government will remain on hand to help you unlock these opportunities and leverage investment from the private sector.”
British-Syrian lawyer Sarah Tayara, of the law firm Hogan Lovells, said it had met with several ministries in the new Syrian government as they worked on possible deals and cases involving British businesses.
“The rule of law was missing in the previous regime. It's clear that transparency and the rule of law is something they are looking at,” Ms Tayara told The National.
“I'm filled with a lot of hope. I'm excited not only to witness a new Syria for Syrians but also to be part of that change.”
But she said European “over-compliance” was still limiting the re-establishment of correspondent banking in Syria – despite sanctions being lifted last year.
Syrian community urges embassy reopening
Syrians in the UK praised the visit, but urged Mr Al Shara to include the country's citizens in the reconstruction efforts. They said there was an “urgent” need for the Syrian embassy in London to offer full consular support.
“This visit marks the start of a new chapter in UK–Syria relations and an opportunity to reset co-operation on a constructive footing,” Abdulaziz Almashi, a director and board member of the Syrian British Consortium, told The National. “It is also significant for the Syrian community in the UK, which has built strong networks and remains deeply invested in Syria’s future.
“We hope to see concrete steps from President Ahmad Al Shara, including structured engagement with the Syrian diaspora, support for investment initiatives and greater inclusion of Syrian expertise in reconstruction efforts. The diaspora is well placed to act as a bridge between the UK and Syria in this regard.”
Mr Almashi added that resuming full operations at the embassy in London would “not only facilitate vital consular services, but also strengthen official ties and make a tangible difference to the daily lives of Syrians”.
Syrians gathered outside Downing Street to catch a glimpse of Mr Al Shara, but were disappointed that they could not speak to him. A group later went to the Syrian embassy in Belgrave Square, hoping he might be there.
“There are people who came from faraway cities, Manchester and Glasgow. They drove six or seven hours this morning to greet the President,” said Ahmad Al Hussein, a Syrian refugee from Raqqa now living in London.
“But nothing has been advertised yet about having a conversation between the community and the President, so that they could welcome him and speak to him.”
Mr Al Hussein hoped the visit would lead to more investment in Syria. He said the UK had already played a major role in the country's transition despite the absence of a formal diplomatic presence.
“The UK has its own precedents in Syria. It lifted sanctions. It helped initiate the foundations of the new government,” he said. “We hope there will be investment, more aid, that they remove all sanctions.”
Mr Al Shara was in Berlin on Monday, where German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Syrian refugees who found asylum in Germany had an important part to play in rebuilding their country, and his government would help those who want to return.
After a meeting with Mr Al Shara, Mr Merz said many Syrian refugees had made a major contribution in Germany but most wanted to return to their home country.
“It is impossible to discuss recovery and reconstruction without addressing the Syrians in Germany,” Mr Al Shara said. “We have 1.3 million Syrians here, including 6,000 doctors working in your hospitals.”
