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Syria–United Kingdom relations

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Syria-United Kingdom relations
Map indicating locations of Syria and United Kingdom

Syria
United Kingdom

Since the Syrian civil war, the United Kingdom has supported the Syrian opposition.[1] The United Kingdom closed its embassy in Syria in 2011, and the Embassy of Syria, London was closed the following year.[2]

History

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First Lady of Syria Asma al-Assad was born and raised in England.[3]

1950s

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On 6 November 1956, during the Suez Crisis, a Royal Air Force Canberra PR.7 was sent to overfly Syria on a photo reconnaissance mission, and was shot down by a Syrian Air Force Gloster Meteor. As of 2022, this was the last RAF aircraft shot down in an enemy air-to-air engagement.[4][5]

21st century

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A protester holds up a "Don't bomb Syria" sign during a protest in London in November 2015.

In 2001, positive relations were developed between Prime Minister Tony Blair and the Syrian government, as part of the War on Terror.[6]

In 2002, President Bashar al-Assad made an official visit to the United Kingdom, the first Syrian leader to do so.[7] He and his wife Asma met with Queen Elizabeth II.[8]

In 2003, the British Syrian Society was established in London by Fawaz Akhras, father-in-law of Bashar al-Assad.[9]

Since the 2011 civil war, relations have deteriorated, and the UK was one of the first countries to recognise the opposition as the sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people.[1]

The Embassy of Syria in London closed in 2013.

In 2018, the UK took part in the missile strikes against Syria alongside the United States and France.[10]

In March 2021, the British Government placed sanctions on key allies of Assad.[11]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b MacFarquhar, Neil; Mourtada, Hania (19 November 2012). "Britain Recognizes Syria Opposition Coalition". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 February 2019.
  2. ^ Black, Ian; McGreal, Chris (29 May 2012). "Syrian diplomats expelled from countries around the world". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  3. ^ Rothwell, James (2021-03-08). "Syrian president Bashar al-Assad and his wife test positive for coronavirus". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2021-03-09.
  4. ^ "Accident English Electric Canberra PR.7 WH799, 06 Nov 1956". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  5. ^ Eason, Gary (2 August 2016). "The shooting down of Whisky Hotel 799". aerialcombat.co.uk. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
  6. ^ Blair visits Syria
  7. ^ Lauren Said-Moorhouse (2 June 2019). "From Assad to Xi, the Queen has met her fair share of controversial leaders". CNN. Retrieved 2021-03-09.
  8. ^ "Syrian president meets the Queen". The Telegraph. Retrieved 2021-03-09.
  9. ^ Booth, Robert (2012-03-15). "Assad's father-in-law: the man at the heart of UK-Syrian relations". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2021-03-09.
  10. ^ "U.S. says air strikes cripple Syria chemical weapons program". www.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2021-03-09.
  11. ^ "UK imposes sanctions on key Assad allies after 'decade of brutality'". The Independent. 2021-03-15. Archived from the original on 2022-05-26. Retrieved 2021-04-22.
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