List of ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Syria

The Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Syria was the United Kingdom's foremost diplomatic representative to Syria, and head of the UK's diplomatic mission in Damascus. The official title was His Britannic Majesty's Ambassador to the Syrian Arab Republic.

In February 2012 all diplomatic staff were withdrawn from the British Embassy in Damascus and its services were suspended.^[1] There is now no ambassador. The UK appoints a "Special Envoy to Syria"; the present incumbent is the head of the Near East Department at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office in London.^[2]

Heads of mission

Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the Syrian and Lebanese Republics

• 1942–1944: Edward Spears^[3]
• 1944–1946: Terence Shone^[4]

Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary at Damascus

• 1947: Patrick Scrivener^[5]
• 1947–1950: Philip Broadmead^[6]
• 1950–1952: William Montagu-Pollock^[7]

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Syrian Arab Republic

• 1952–1953: William Montagu-Pollock^[8]
• 1953–1957: John Gardener^[9]
• 1958–1961: Syria joined with Egypt in the United Arab Republic
• 1962–1964: Thomas Bromley^[10]
• 1964–1967: Trefor Evans^[11]
• 1967–1973: Diplomatic relations broken off due to the Six-Day War
• 1973–1976: David Roberts^[12]
• 1976–1979: James Craig^[13]
• 1979–1981: Patrick Wright^[14]
• 1982–1984: Ivor Lucas
• 1984–1986: Roger Tomkys^[15]
• 1986–1991: Diplomatic relations broken off following the Hindawi affair
• 1991–1994: Andrew Green
• 1994–1996: Adrian Sindall^[16]
• 1996–2000: Basil Eastwood^[17]
• 2000–2003: Henry Hogger
• 2003–2006: Peter Ford
• 2006–2007: John Jenkins
• 2007–2012: Simon Collis
• 2012: Ambassador withdrawn – embassy closed

UK Special Envoy to Syria

• 2014: Jonathan Wilks (2012–2013: UK Special Envoy to the Syrian opposition)
• 2014–2017: Gareth Bayley
• 2017–2020: Martin Longden^[18]
• 2020–2023: Jonathan Hargreaves^[2]
• 2023–present^[update]: Ann Snow

References

1. British Embassy in Damascus 'suspended', BBC News, 1 March 2012
2. "jonathan hargreaves".
3. "No. 35598". The London Gazette. 16 June 1942. p. 2652.
4. "No. 37198". The London Gazette. 27 July 1945. p. 3881.
5. "No. 38010". The London Gazette. 8 July 1947. p. 3131.
6. "No. 38534". The London Gazette. 8 February 1949. p. 697.
7. "No. 39006". The London Gazette. 29 August 1950. p. 4383.
8. "No. 39763". The London Gazette. 27 January 1953. p. 571.
9. "No. 40032". The London Gazette. 1 December 1953. p. 6533.
10. "No. 42623". The London Gazette. 16 March 1962. p. 2145.
11. "No. 43482". The London Gazette. 6 November 1964. p. 9392.
12. "No. 46121". The London Gazette. 6 November 1973. p. 13192.
13. "No. 47059". The London Gazette. 5 November 1976. p. 14951.
14. "No. 48055". The London Gazette. 3 January 1980. p. 64.
15. "TOMKYS, Sir (William) Roger". Who's Who 2008, A & C Black, 2008; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2007. Retrieved 19 September 2008.
16. "SINDALL, Adrian John". Who's Who 2008. A & C Black. 2008. Retrieved 18 October 2008.
17. "EASTWOOD, Basil Stephen Talbot". Who's Who 2008. A & C Black. 2008. Retrieved 18 October 2008.
18. "Change of UK Special Envoy to Syria". Foreign & Commonwealth Office. 23 October 2017.

External links

• Syria and the UK, gov.uk