UK has opened diplomatic contact with Syrian rebels who toppled Assad, says Lammy | EUROtoday

UK international secretary David Lammy has mentioned the federal government has opened “diplomatic contact” with the Syrian rebels who ousted Bashar al-Assad’s regime final weekend.

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) remains to be a proscribed terrorist organisation within the UK, Mr Lammy mentioned on Sunday, throughout remarks through which he additionally introduced a £50 million humanitarian help package deal for susceptible Syrians.

“We want to see a representative government, an inclusive government. We want to see chemical weapons stockpiles secured, and not used, and we want to ensure that there is not continuing violence,” Mr Lammy told the BBC.

“For all of these causes, utilizing all of the channels that now we have accessible, and people are diplomatic and naturally intelligence-led channels, we search to cope with HTS the place now we have to.”

Since HTS led the insurgent offensive which triggered the collapse of the Assad regime, western governments have debated on how the brand new Syrian rulers needs to be method given HTS’ hyperlinks to al Qaeda.

US counterpart Antony Blinken mentioned on Saturday the US had made “direct contact” with HTS.

The £50m humanitarian help package deal shall be delivered by UN and NGO companies to Syrians within the nation and to refugees in Lebanon and Jordan, the international workplace mentioned.

It comes after Britain joined talks hosted by Jordan in Aqaba on Saturday, attended by delegates from the US, France, Germany, the Arab Contact Group, Bahrain, Qatar, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the EU and UN.

They agreed {that a} “non-sectarian and representative government” is required in Syria, alongside the safety of human rights, entry for humanitarian help, the protected destruction of chemical weapons and the continued combat towards terrorism.

The Foreign Office mentioned on Sunday: “The UK urges the transitional government to adhere to these principles to build a more hopeful, secure and peaceful Syria.”

£30 million of the funding shall be allotted for meals, shelter and emergency healthcare, £10 million to the World Food Programme (WFP) in Lebanon and £10 million to WFP and the UN’s refugee company, UNHCR in Jordan.

Some £120,000 has additionally been allotted to the Organisation of the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), the division added.