London: Owing to security concerns, Britain has withdrawn all diplomatic staff from its embassy in Syria and suspended its services in the violence-torn country. The "deteriorating security situation" had put British staff posted there in danger, Foreign Secretary William Hague informed Parliament on Thursday.
In a statement, he said British Ambassador Simon Collis and other diplomatic staff left Syria on Wednesday.
Hague said, "British nationals who remain in Syria despite our longstanding and consistent message to leave the country should contact the embassy of any remaining European Union member state if they require consular assistance."
In the statement, he said, "I wish to inform the House that I have taken the decision on security grounds to suspend the services of the British embassy in Damascus and to withdraw all diplomatic staff."
"We have maintained an embassy in Damascus despite the violence to help us communicate with all parties in Syria and to provide insight into the situation on the ground. Throughout this time we have kept the security situation of our staff and embassy premises under intense and constant review.
"We now judge that the deterioration of the security situation in Damascus puts our embassy staff and premises at risk, and have taken the decision to withdraw staff accordingly," Hague said.
He said the decision to withdraw staff from the British embassy in Damascus did not reduce the UK's commitment to active diplomacy to maintain pressure on the Bashar Assad regime to end violence.
"We will continue to work closely with other nations to coordinate diplomatic and economic pressure on the Syrian regime through the Friends of Syria group and the European Union, building on the new EU sanctions agreed on February 27 which will restrict further the regime's sources of revenue," he said.
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