Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent diplomatic steps his Department has taken in the effort to end the war in Syria.

The UK is committed to supporting efforts to bring an end to the Syria Conflict. The FCDO firmly believes that the only viable option for a lasting, inclusive peace in Syria is a political solution in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2254.

The regime and its backers have obstructed the peace process thus far and the UK has played a key role in driving the international community to hold the Assad regime to account. In discussions with regional partners and in multilateral fora the UK stresses the primacy of the UN-led peace process and calls for coordinated pressure to bring the regime to the negotiating table.

On 15 March the UK coordinated a joint statement with the Foreign Ministers of Germany, France, Italy and the United States calling for the regime to seriously engage with the political process. Sanctions remain a key lever to bring the regime to the negotiating table too. On 15 March the UK, announced six new sanctions against members and supporters of the regime to hold them accountable. The UK will continue to build diplomatic pressure on the regime to drive engagement with the peace process and work to avoid another ten years of conflict.