British diplomats met with Ahmed al-Sharaa, the leader of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group which controls Damascus, calling for the lifting of sanctions on Syria. This marks a significant shift in the geopolitical landscape following the ousting of Bashar al-Assad. While HTS remains designated as a terrorist group by Western states, the meeting signals a willingness to engage with the new authorities in Damascus.
Nine days after Bashar al-Assad was ousted, the new prime minister installed by Sharaa’s Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group said the government was grappling with very low currency reserves and called for sanctions to be lifted.
Photos published by SANA showed Sharaa, whose group was part of al Qaeda until he broke ties in 2016, sitting in a suit with an open shirt during the meeting, his highest level encounter yet with a Western government official since HTS seized power. Sharaa “spoke about the need to build a state of law and institutions, and establishing security,” SANA reported. “He also spoke about Britain’s important role internationally.”
A German foreign ministry spokesperson said the talks would focus on a transitional process for Syria and the protection of minorities. Asked what he would say to those worried about a single religious or political group dominating Syria, Bashir said: “Those who are afraid … of a religion trend or anything else doesn’t truly understand Islam, the forgiveness of Islam, the justice of Islam”.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Monday the European Union should be ready to ease sanctions on Syria if the country’s new leadership takes “positive steps” to establish an inclusive government and respect women’s and minority rights.
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