From Idlib to Downing Street: Ahmed al-Sharaa meets the UK's prime minister
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa met British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Downing Street on Tuesday morning, on his first trip to London.
The landmark meeting reflects the enormous shift in UK-Syria relations since the fall of longtime autocrat Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.
Sharaa was previously head of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a rebel coalition that ousted Assad and was until recently a British-designated terrorist group.
Sharaa himself is a former member of al-Qaeda, which remains a proscribed terrorist organisation in Britain.
In July, Britain fully re-established relations with Syria, 14 years after severing ties with Assad's government. Starmer's government then de-proscribed HTS the following October.
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Sharaa's arrival in London is another landmark moment in the relationship between the two countries.
His visit is expected to lead to the full reopening of Syria's embassy in London and the British embassy in Damascus.
The UK government is also expected to announce a new scheme providing export finance to British companies seeking to do business in Syria.
The Syrian government recently passed legislation allowing non-Syrian companies to fully own investment projects.
Sharaa visited Germany on Monday and met Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who said he expects 800,000 Syrians in Germany to leave before 2030.
On Tuesday evening, Sharaa is expected to speak at the Chatham House think tank.
Last week, Talal al-Hilali, the director of the Syria Investment Authority, visited London to meet representatives from construction companies and financial institutions.
Syria hopes to attract significant foreign investment as it seeks to rebuild its economy.
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