London welcomes Syria’s president as diplomatic ties continue thaw

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa arrived in London for his first official visit to the United Kingdom, marking a further step in the gradual restoration of diplomatic relations between the two nations.

التقى السيد الرئيس أحمد الشرع اليوم، خلال زيارته الرسمية إلى المملكة المتحدة، رئيس وزراء المملكة المتحدة كير ستارمر، بحضور وزير الخارجية والمغتربين أسعد الشيباني ووزير الاقتصاد نضال الشعار. pic.twitter.com/JF0DADY0Q6

— رئاسة الجمهورية العربية السورية (@SyPresidency) March 31, 2026

The visit follows renewed engagement after the UK formally re-established ties with Syria in July 2025, ending years of estrangement during the Assad regime era. Al-Sharaa, who traveled to London after a trip to Germany, is accompanied by a ministerial delegation and is expected to hold talks with senior British officials to strengthen bilateral relations and expand cooperation across multiple sectors.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomed al-Sharaa at 10 Downing Street, in one of the first high-level engagements between the UK and Syria in many years. Their meeting lasted nearly an hour.

Diplomatic relations have been gradually rebuilt over recent months. Syria initiated efforts in November to reopen its embassy in Belgrave Square, a symbolic move highlighting the ongoing thaw in ties. A charge d'affaires was expected to be appointed in January to formalize Syria’s renewed diplomatic presence, though the appointment has not yet occurred.

The UK’s re-engagement gained momentum last summer, beginning with then-Foreign Secretary David Lammy’s visit to Damascus in July 2024, the first by a British minister in 14 years. A follow-up visit by Hamish Falconer, Britain’s minister for the Middle East, in August further strengthened the process, laying the groundwork for enhanced political and diplomatic cooperation.

By Vafa Guliyeva