Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 20 December 2016 to Question 57778, on Syria: Armed Conflict, what the Government's policy is on re-establishing dialogue with the Assad Regime as part of multilateral peace talks.

The British Government supports all genuine efforts towards sustained peace in Syria. We welcome the efforts of Russia, Turkey and Iran to secure a ceasefire deal. We hope that talks planned to take place in Astana can contribute to a UN-led political process, although we note a series of ceasefire violations, including by regime forces. Only a political settlement can stop the war and bring the peace the Syrian people deserve. We believe that this will ultimately require a transition away from Asad: he cannot unite the country because of the atrocities he has perpetrated against the Syrian people.