Historically, Syria has always been considered a crossroads between the East and West, a place where Europe meets Asia, and a trading hub for centuries. As empires rose and fell, it withstood challenges, no more so than the last half a century of Assad family rule. As the first anniversary of the liberation of Syria approaches, a reflection of how far the war-ravaged state has come and how it has tried to position itself internationally is apt. Early signs are positive.

The Syrian Foreign Minister, Assad Al-Shaibani, was present in London last week to speak to the British Syrian community, meet the British Foreign Secretary, and open the new Syrian Embassy which has been closed since 2012 after the Houla Massacre, perpetrated by forces loyal to the Assad regime. A visiting foreign minister meeting the diaspora from his country is not new; Assad himself ensured that plenty of Syrians flocked to London to greet him when he made an official visit to the UK in 2002 and met with both Blair, and bizarrely, the late Queen Elizabeth. 

The fact that Syrians could converse with the Foreign Minister openly and not need to seek permission for questions is a small victory in itself. I witnessed this myself. And crucially, Al-Shaibani was at the launch for the Syrian British Business Council and spoke to businessmen about investment for the new Syrian state. The impression made by Al-Shaibani was widely remarked to be positive, and the fact that he flew from Washington DC to Damascus and then back to London in the opposite direction all within 48 hours was appreciated. There is clearly a level of goodwill here that the new government will be afforded. Al-Shaibani reopening the Syrian Embassy was a source of pride for the Syrian........

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