Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government when they expect to establish full diplomatic representation in Syria.

I refer the Noble Lord to the answer given to Question 32875 on 16 October 2026, which for ease is copied below:

The former Foreign Secretary and Minister for the Middle East visited Damascus last year to renew, and progress, UK-Syria relations. Since then, the UK Special Representative for Syria and the Development Director for Syria have been regular visitors, most recently in September, alongside other UK officials.

We continue to regularly engage the new Syrian Government and are committed to supporting them to deliver a more stable, free and prosperous future for the Syrian people. We are exploring options for a more permanent presence in Damascus and how we can support Syria further.

The Minister for the Middle East met the Syrian Foreign Minister in Bahrain on the 31 October. He restated our desire to establish full diplomatic representation at the earliest opportunity.