Foreign Office Minister condemns attacks on embassies in Syria

Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt

Speaking after the US and French Embassies were attacked in Damascus on Monday, the Minister for the Middle East said:

“I condemn the attacks on the French and US Embassies in Damascus on 11 July. The Syrian authorities have failed to discharge their responsibility under international law to protect diplomatic missions. This is an issue of direct concern to the UK and to all countries with diplomatic missions in Syria. All EU member states in Syria are today seeking urgent assurances from the Syrian Foreign Ministry.

“The damage done to the US and French missions is clearly intended as a response to the visit to Hama late last week by their Ambassadors in Syria. I reassert the right under international law of all diplomats to freedom of movement.

“I support the right to peaceful protest in Syria, as elsewhere. But yesterday’s violent protests and the inflammatory language used by Syrian officials over the visits by diplomats to Hama are unacceptable. Continuing violence by the Syrian security forces and their supporters against their own people as well as their complicity in allowing attacks on diplomatic missions in Syria is not compatible with the professed commitment of the Syrian authorities to a genuine political process.”

تصريح من وزير الدولة البريطاني أليستر بيرت يدين الهجمات على السفارتين الأميركية والفرنسية في دمشق بعد زيارة سفيريهما إلى حماة، ويحمّل سلطات النظام السوري مسؤولية الإخفاق في حماية البعثات الدبلوماسية.