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Written question asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench) on Thursday, 26 March 2026, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Monday, 13 April 2026. It was answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Labour) on Monday, 20 April 2026 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Ahmed al-Sharaa

Question

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they anticipate that President Ahmed al-Sharaa will visit the UK; if so, when; and what questions they intend to raise with him.

Answer

I refer the Noble Lord to the statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office on 31 March, which - for ease of access - is reproduced below:

The Prime Minister met the President of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, in Downing Street this morning. The leaders agreed that this was an important moment for the UK-Syria relationship.

On the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, they both affirmed the importance of avoiding further escalation and restoring stability in the region. They discussed the need for a viable plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, in the face of the severe economic impact of prolonged closure, and agreed to work with others to restore freedom of navigation.

The Prime Minister welcomed the Syrian Government's action against Da'esh to date and the progress made on cooperation between the UK and Syria on counter-terrorism. He set out how he hoped to make further progress on the issue of migration, including closer work together on returns, on border security, and on tackling people smuggling networks.

They agreed that regeneration of infrastructure would be vital for Syria's economic transition, and discussed opportunities for British businesses across several sectors to play a role in this.

They agreed to keep in touch.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
HL16054
Session
2024-26
Subjects
Foreign relations Syria Official visits al-Sharaa, Ahmed
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk