Sir Keir Starmer has welcomed the fall of Bashar al Assad, saying Syrians “have put up with his brutal regime for far, far too long”.
The prime minister said his government is “talking to regional allies” as he urged Syrians to find “a political way forward”, adding that “it’s very important that civilians and minorities are protected in this process.
“But [I’m] very, very pleased that Assad has fallen,” he said.
Syria latest: Assad flees to Moscow
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Syria given a ‘moment of opportunity’
Sir Keir declined to say if the UK would hold talks with the insurgents who have wrested control of the country from Assad after 24 years in power.
One of those groups, Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS), was once known as the Nusra Front, a former wing of al Qaeda, before cutting those ties in 2016, and has long been designated a terrorist group by the US and Russia.
Mr Starmer said it was important that “we stabilise, that we reject terrorism and violence, and that we all work towards a political settlement for the future of Syria and for the region.”
Sir Keir is visiting the Middle East on a trip that was scheduled before the collapse of the Syrian regime to rebel forces.
While the trip was initially set to discuss the economic partnerships between the UK and United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), the regional instability is now also set to feature.
However, Downing Street said on Saturday night that Sir Keir is looking to “deepen defence and security ties” with…
