The UK has established diplomatic contact with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in Syria

The United Kingdom has established contact with the Syrian group "Hayat Tahrir al-Sham."

This was reported by the UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, News.Az reports citing the TASS.

"We want to see a representative, inclusive government. We want to ensure that chemical weapons are under control and not used, and we want to guarantee that there will be no continuation of violence there (in Syria - ed.)," stated Lammy in a release by British broadcasters.

"For all these reasons, using all available channels, including diplomatic and, of course, intelligence channels, we are trying to engage with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in areas where it is needed," Lammy added.

Earlier, the British authorities promised to discuss the possibility of revising the status of the Syrian Islamist group. The UK Home Office website states that according to a 2017 government ruling, "Hayat Tahrir al-Sham" should be regarded as another name for the terrorist group "Al-Qaeda," which was listed as a banned organization in March 2001. Therefore, affiliation with or active support for HTS is a criminal offense in the UK, carrying a prison sentence of up to 14 years.

News.Az