Britain will send its international development minister to Syria within weeks as it considers lifting sanctions on the country, The National can reveal.
Anneliese Dodds is expected to go to Damascus as the UK plays a significant role in the rehabilitation of Syria and seeks to establish a permanent diplomatic presence after a decade of civil war.
The National reported on Wednesday that Jonathan Powell, the UK's National Security Adviser, had held low-key meetings with the new Syrian administration, which suggested he could play a leading role in the diplomacy.
The arrival of the first British minister since Hayat Tahrir Al Sham toppled the Bashar Al Assad regime in December will be seen as significant in helping the country get back on its feet.
Syrian figures from the UK diaspora have already had an influence on the nascent government of acting president Ahmad Al Shara, with some playing a role in the administration.
The British government will consider partially lifting sanctions that “would be helpful in securing the inclusive transitional process”, a western official told The National.
These areas include energy, transport and finance. If the Syrians can prove the restrictions are preventing them from helping the country recover, the UK will “actively consider lifting those sanctions”, sources have said. The European Union is set to lift some sanctions on Syria on Monday.
Britain’s embassy in Damascus, abandoned in 2012, is derelict, so officials are attempting to find a new site. It is understood that a significant effort is under way by the UK Foreign Office to create a permanent diplomatic presence in Damascus, including security and other support.
Mr Al Shara’s administration will also have to demonstrate continued inclusivity of Syria’s many minorities. Britain will then probably send Ms Dodds to Damascus in the coming weeks and certainly before Easter, in mid-April. She is likely to announce a significant development aid package.
Another key caveat is for continued evidence that Syria has secured the Assad regime’s deadly chemical weapons stockpiles and to allow international agencies access to ensure they do not fall into terrorists' hands.
“As long as the Syrians continue to show progress there will be an inward visit by a British minister,” the western source said.
While foreign ministers from France and Germany have visited, it is understood Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Lammy is unlikely to do so until it is clear Mr Al Shara has a fully inclusive and functioning government.
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
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Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
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Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
BIG SPENDERS
Premier League clubs spent £230 million (Dh1.15 billion) on January transfers, the second-highest total for the mid-season window, the Sports Business Group at Deloitte said in a report.
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
