Al-Sharaa in London: Syria Seeks Reengagement, Security and Refugee Talks

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa conducted a high-profile visit to London on March 31, the first by a head of state since the 2024 fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, meeting King Charles III and Prime Minister Keir Starmer. In talks with Starmer the two discussed reopening the Strait of Hormuz and restoring freedom of navigation, coordinated counterterrorism efforts against Islamic State, and stepped-up cooperation on return of irregular migrants, border security and cracking down on human smuggling. Al-Sharaa also met German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin earlier in the week to discuss the large Syrian refugee population in Germany, and spoke at Chatham House outlining his transitional vision for Syria.

In his Chatham House remarks al-Sharaa said Syria is moving toward free elections, citing what he described as relative internal stability, national dialogue and steps to confine weapons to state control. He said the People’s Assembly will form committees to redraft the constitution, and described talks to integrate the Syrian Democratic Forces as a non-military process. He signalled a cautious approach to restoring ties with Iran and said ties with Hezbollah would be handled via Lebanon, while preserving historic relations with Russia and converting Russian bases into training centers. Al-Sharaa linked refugee returns to reconstruction and job creation, emphasized transitional justice and accountability, and sought to portray Damascus as ending isolation following Britain’s resumption of diplomatic relations in July 2025. as reported by Enab Baladi

This story has also been reported by: The Syrian Observer