The British government has made “diplomatic contact” with the Syrian rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which is now in control of the country after ousting President Bashar al-Assad.
The UK Foreign Secretary confirmed the development and said that HTS remains a banned terrorist organization but that the UK “can maintain diplomatic contact and so we maintain diplomatic contact, as you would expect”.
The United States also confirmed on Saturday that it had “direct contact” with the HTS rebel group that has led the rebel uprising and now controls Damascus and much of Syria. Foreign Minister Antony Blinken, Lamy’s counterpart in America, has confirmed this.
The UK government has also announced £50 million in humanitarian aid for vulnerable Syrians, including refugees, as the region has seen massive migration.
Talked to me today @SecBlinken To discuss our efforts with partners to support a more hopeful, secure and peaceful Syria. We have collectively agreed on principles necessary to support a Syrian-led transitional political process.
— David Lammy (@DavidLammy) December 14, 2024
In a statement, Lammy said, “We want to see a representative government, an inclusive government. We want to see the stockpile of chemical weapons protected and not used, and we want to make sure that there is no continued violence.”
“For all those reasons, using all the channels available to us, and those are diplomatic and certainly intelligence-led channels, we seek to deal with HTS where we have to,” he added, as quoted by the BBC.
To find out the fate of American journalist Austin Tice, Blinken of America told reporters that they were in contact with HTS for a specific purpose.
Today, the United States and our partners in the region agreed on a set of shared principles to guide our support as Syria transitions to a new government.
We stand ready to support the Syrian people as they chart a new path. pic.twitter.com/yvmQWj2mz3
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) December 15, 2024
Russia expelled diplomats
Meanwhile, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Russian, Belarusian and North Korean diplomatic personnel were evacuated from Syria’s Khmeimim air base by a special Russian air force flight to Damascus.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said on its Telegram channel that “the work of the Russian embassy in Damascus continues,” Reuters reported.
Russia’s state news agency RIA quoted the Belarusian Foreign Ministry as saying that all Belarusian diplomats had been expelled from Syria.
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