Syria’s foreign minister officially reopened the country’s embassy in London on Thursday after more than a decade-long closure, the latest step in Syria's reintegration into the international community after the ouster of former President Bashar Assad.

 

The visit by Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani to the United Kingdom came after a historic visit to Washington by interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, the first by a president from Syria since the country’s independence in 1946.

 

Al-Shibani, speaking at an event held by the London-based Chatham House international affairs think tank, said that his meeting with his British counterpart, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, was “successful.”

 

“Relations between Syria and Britain are advanced relations and we are not talking about opening a new page — we are talking about deepening these relations,” he said.

 

Following Assad’s fall, al-Sharaa said that “the United Kingdom had a progressive position compared to other countries.”

 

“It removed sanctions early and opened relations with the new Syrian government quickly,” he said. “It supported us in the (UN) Security Council and also supported us in several thorny issues.”