Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his counterpart in the Syrian interim government on taking steps to ensure that they will not be influenced by radical Islamist groups following the lifting of certain sanctions on Syria.

On 5 July, the Foreign Secretary met President Al-Sharaa and Foreign Minister al-Shaibani to reiterate the importance of an inclusive and representative political transition. The UK has consistently advocated for this and underlined the importance of protecting the rights of all Syrians. We welcome provisions in the Constitutional Declaration on freedom of expression and freedom of religion and belief, as well as on guaranteeing the cultural diversity of Syrian society and the linguistic rights of Syrians. We continue to press the Syrian Government to prioritise inclusivity and representation in the appointment and election of People's Assembly members.