Syrian embassy reopens in London as foreign minister raises national flag

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani raised the national flag above the Syrian Embassy in London, officially marking the reopening of the mission after years of closure.

The embassy had remained shut for more than a decade after the UK severed diplomatic ties with Damascus during the Syrian conflict, Sana reports.

Posting on X, al-Shaibani wrote: “After years of isolation imposed by Assad’s chemical regime, today we reopen the Syrian Embassy in London. Syria returns to the world under its free identity.”

The reopening follows a recent decision by Britain to lift sanctions on President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a move that came shortly after a similar resolution by the United Nations Security Council.

The UK government has not yet commented publicly on the ceremony or its implications for bilateral relations.

The flag raising represents the latest visible step in Syria’s efforts to restore diplomatic representation abroad after years of international isolation.

By Vafa Guliyeva