09 May 2018•Update: 10 May 2018
By Ahmet Gurhan Kartal
LONDON
British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has welcomed the visit by the head of the opposition Syrian Negotiation Commission, calling it a “significant opportunity” to discuss ways to end the “human catastrophe” in the war-torn country.
Johnson met Nasr al-Hariri in London with Minister for the Middle East Alistair Burt, a government statement said Wednesday.
“This visit was a significant opportunity for the U.K. to discuss with the Syrian opposition our shared efforts to bring this appalling human catastrophe to an end, and stop the suffering that the Syrian people have endured for over seven years,” Johnson said.
He added that the Bashar al-Assad regime’s “continuation of its brutal offensives, including its use of chemical weapons, and its refusal to engage in negotiations have underlined the challenge of reaching a political settlement”.
“But we remain clear that only a political solution will create a stable, brighter future for the Syrian people,” he said.
Johnson underlined that “Nasr al-Hariri and the Syrian opposition have again expressed their willingness to engage in direct negotiations with the Syrian regime and Russia without preconditions”.
The British foreign secretary also said the U.K.’s humanitarian contributions in Syria had reached to £2.71 billion ($3.68 billion) since 2011.
“This assistance will help to alleviate the extreme suffering in Syria and provide vital support in neighboring countries,” Johnson said.
