Written question asked by Marquess of Lothian (Conservative) on Wednesday, 17 May 2023, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 1 June 2023. It was answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Conservative) on Thursday, 1 June 2023 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Syria: League of Arab States

Question: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions, if any, they had with the Arab League prior to its decision to approve Syria’s readmission as a member on 7 May.

Answer: Engaging Bashar al-Assad in the absence of any evidence that his regime will change its behaviour will not help Syrians or the region. We therefore do not support Syria's readmission to the Arab League in current circumstances. Ahead of the decision to re-admit Syria to the Arab League we encouraged Arab states to set firm conditions on refugee return, detainee release and justice reform. We continue to encourage our Arab partners that their further engagement is staggered and supportive of the conditions set out in UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2254. The Foreign Secretary has stated that the UK is disappointed with Syria's readmission to the Arab League; ultimately, however, decisions on membership are for League members.

Secondary information