UK latest nation to declare direct contact with HTS as world opens up to post-Assad Syria

The United Kingdom has initiated diplomatic contact with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Islamist group that recently led the overthrow of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, marking a significant shift in international engagement with Syria’s new power structure.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy confirmed the development, stating that while HTS remains a proscribed organisation in the UK, diplomatic channels are being used to communicate with the group as necessary.

“HTS remains a proscribed organisation, but we can have diplomatic contact, and so we do have diplomatic contact, as you would expect,” Lammy said.

Broader international consensus

This move comes amid a broader international reassessment of relations with Syria following Assad’s departure.

The United States has confirmed direct contact with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the rebel group that recently ousted President Bashar al-Assad in Syria.

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Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that the US is urging HTS to support the formation of an inclusive and representative transitional government, rather than assuming automatic leadership.

France also announced that it would send a team of diplomats to Syria on Tuesday to assess the political and security situation, the foreign ministry said, without specifying whom they would meet.

Most EU governments welcomed Bashar al-Assad’s fall but are considering whether they can work with the rebels who ousted him, including Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an Islamist group that is designated a terrorist organisation by the EU.

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Turkey reopened its embassy in Syria on Saturday, becoming the first country to do so since the end of Bashar Assad’s rule last weekend. The Syrian insurgents who overthrew Assad had received vital help from Turkey.

Several countries maintained diplomatic ties with Assad’s government during the 13-year conflict, while others reopened their diplomatic missions in recent years as they sought to normalise relations.

With inputs from agencies