U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman issued a statement calling on the international community to support Syria in its current transition, according to a statement by the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs.The statement came at the close of a three-day official visit to Saudi Arabia by Starmer, which began on Dec. 9.
That was the day after former Syrian President Bashar Assad left Syria, following an attack by Turkish and Western-backed forces led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an organization that remains on the U.S., U.K. and EU terrorist list. Short of calling for the recognition of the the Syrian transitional regime, the two leaders expressed their commitment to “supporting efforts that ensure the safety of the Syrian people, halt the bloodshed, and preserve Syria’s state institutions and resources” and called on the international community to work together with Syria’s citizens during this critical period of recovery. On the morning of Dec. 9, Starmer’s delegation flew into Abu Dhabi and the United Arab Emirates. He met with the President of the U.A.E., His Highness, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan. He then flew to Riyadh, beginning his official visit to Saudi Arabia on the evening of Dec. 9.
Starmer was accompanied at all of his meetings by his National Security Advisor Jonathan Powell, former Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Tony Blair, and the go-to expert for negotiating with terrorists. It was Powell who began the process of transforming the HTS into a legitimate resistance group, when he first met with leaders of the organization in 2017.
Talks with both Arab leaders centered on the situation in Syria, and security and defense cooperation, as well as soliciting Saudi and U.A.E. investments in the U.K.. Talks with Saudi Arabia also discussed orders for the Eurofighter, manufactured by Europe’s Airbus, the U.K.’s BAE, and Italy’s Leonardo. Starmer also invited the Saudi Crown Prince to make an official visit to the U.K.
