People demonstrate against new alcohol restrictions that limit sales largely to Christian areas in Damascus, Syria, Sunday, March 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)
March 25, 2026 - 9:06 AM
OTTAWA — The federal government says it has no plans to reopen its embassy in Syria.
Gregory Galligan is Canada's ambassador to Lebanon and also covers Syria, and he tells the House foreign affairs committee that there are no specific conditions that would have to be satisfied before reopening the embassy Canada suspended in 2012.
Galligan says Ottawa would be more likely to do so if large numbers of Canadian tourists or companies started showing an interest in Syria.
Canada re-established diplomatic ties with Syria a year ago after an Islamist group that was listed as a terrorist organization at the time ousted the Assad dictatorship and promised an inclusive political transition.
Conservative MPs are asking why Canada dropped sanctions on Syria's interim government after brutal ethnic and religious violence in the country.
In his testimony, Galligan says Ottawa is issuing grants to women's groups and those advancing a democratic vision for Syria, measures which would not have been possible under the previous sanctions.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 25, 2026.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2026