Issued by: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

The Foreign Secretary is in Saudi Arabia to meet Arab and international partners to drive forward international coordination on Syria.

• the UK will attend meetings in Saudi Arabia with international partners to discuss support for the Syrian people to build a hopeful, secure and peaceful future

• reiterating the importance of an inclusive Syrian-led political transition, the Foreign Secretary will offer UK expertise on humanitarian coordination and accountability

• David Lammy to hold key bilateral meetings with Saudi counterparts to further work to deliver the government’s Plan for Change and strengthen our partnerships abroad

The Foreign Secretary will meet Arab and international partners today (Sunday 12 January) to drive forward international coordination on Syria at a critical point in the country’s future.

Discussions in Riyadh will be Arab-led and focus on the next steps the international community can take to support the interim Syrian authorities, including mechanisms to hold the Assad regime to account for the war crimes they perpetrated against the Syrian people.

Building on the Foreign Secretary’s meeting with France, Germany, Italy, US and the EU on Syria in Rome earlier this week, he will further stress the UK’s offer to provide expertise on the coordination of humanitarian aid. He will also reiterate his concern about continuing hostilities in North East Syria and the urgent need for these to end.

The UK remains committed to the people of Syria and fully supports a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political transition process leading to an inclusive, non-sectarian and representative government. We have been very clear in early engagements with the interim authorities that we need to see action on inclusive governance, facilitation of humanitarian aid and cooperation on chemical weapons and countering the threat posed by Daesh to UK national security.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said:

"The international community must come together to stand behind the people of Syria as they build a democratic future and a diverse and modern country.

"We are united with our key partners from the region and beyond in ensuring the protection of civilians, access to aid and security within Syria and the wider region.

"Syrians deserve a bright and prosperous future – we are here today to support that."

The meeting will be attended by the interim Foreign Minister of Syria, Asaad al-Shaibani, as well as representatives from Bahrain, Egypt, France, Germany, Iraq, Italy, Kuwait, Jordan, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Turkiye, UAE, USA, EU, League of Arab States and UN.

While in Saudi Arabia, the Foreign Secretary will meet one-on-one with Saudi Foreign Minister His Highness Prince Faisal bin Farhan and a number of Arab and European foreign ministers.

Following the Prime Minister’s December visit, David Lammy will continue to deliver on the government’s Plan for Change (https://www.gov.uk/missions) as he looks to increase investment, deepen defence and security ties, and boost growth and new opportunities both at home and abroad with one of our most vital partners.

Background

The UK has provided over £60 million in international aid since the fall of the Assad regime to help the most vulnerable Syrians, including refugees across the region.

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