LONDON: Syria has reopened its embassy in London marking its latest step in restoring diplomatic ties globally since former leader Bashar al-Assad was ousted last year.
Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani presided over a ceremony at the central London embassy on Thursday, raising the national flag and “signalling the resumption of its activity after a 14-year closure”, a statement from the Syrian foreign ministry said.
A photo posted on Shaibani’s X account showed him on the embassy balcony, waving to a crowd of people below including some holding Syrian flags.
“After years of isolation imposed by the chemical Assad regime, we are today reopening the Syrian embassy in London. Syria returns to the world with its free identity,” al-Shaibani posted on X, referring to Assad’s alleged use of chemical weapons.
Ann Snow, the UK’s Special Representative for Syria, also posted her support on X. “Today I was proud to witness Syrian Foreign Minister @AsaadHShaibani raise the flag over the Embassy in London — a historic moment,” she wrote.
During his visit to London, al-Shaibani met his British counterpart Yvette Cooper and discussed “prospects for developing Syrian-British relations, and ways of strengthening cooperation in various fields”, the Syrian foreign ministry said.
Since Assad’s overthrow in December 2024, Syria, now led by interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, has moved swiftly to reestablish diplomatic ties worldwide.
Earlier this week, Sharaa met with US President Donald Trump at the White House—a remarkable turnaround for a leader who was once on Washington’s terrorism list and had a bounty on his head.
The United Kingdom had lifted sanctions on Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa, following a United Nations Security Council decision.
