Sami Khiyami (Arabic: سامي خيامي) is a Syrian diplomat, former Syrian ambassador to London.
Sami Khiyami سامي الخيمي | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Syrian Ambassador to the United Kingdom | |
| In office July 2004[1] – March 2012 | |
| Preceded by | Mouafak Nassar |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 28, 1948 Damascus, Syria |
| Spouse | Yamna Farhan |
| Profession | Politician |
Background
editBorn on 28 August 1948,[2] Khiyami studied Electrical Engineering at the American University of Beirut in Lebanon, and Claude Bernard University Lyon 1, France. An electronics expert by training, he has held a number of professional roles, including senior advisor to the Syrian banking industry and a member of the board of Syrian Arab Airlines. He speaks Arabic, English, French, and German.[3]
Issues
editIn July 2006, Khiyami announced to the London media that Syria was attempting to dissuade Hezbollah from continuing to launch rocket attacks on Israel, the latter being part of the claimed justification for Israel's July air strikes on Lebanon.
Khiyami has also argued that the international community, when gauging its response to the Middle East conflict, should examine the totality of the conflict's victims.
Khiyami was seen as collaborating closely with Ghayth Armanazi of the Syrian Media Centre, London, and the British Syrian Society.
On April 28, 2011, Khiyami's invitation to Prince William's wedding was formally withdrawn due to Syria's violent response to protesters.[4]
Khiyami left his position as ambassador to the United Kingdom in March 2012.[5] He quit the diplomatic service shortly thereafter, citing the excessive use of violence of the Syrian governments against protesters as the reason for his resignation.[6]
According to German and Arabic media reports Khiyami is among the founding members of an initiative called the 'Council of the Syrian Charter' that unites elders and representatives from various Syrian families, clans, tribes and communities both inside and outside of Syria.[7] [8] Khiyami is said to have played an important role in the drafting of a document known as the 'Code of Conduct for Syrian Coexistence' that was solemnly signed by community representatives, including Syrian Alawites, in 2017.[9]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Eyal Zisser, Commanding Syria: Bashar Al-Asad And the First Years in Power, p. 61
- ^ Khiyami, Dr Sami Madani. ukwhoswho.com. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U45408. ISBN 978-0-19-954088-4.
- ^ "HE Dr Sami Khiyami". Dialogue Society.
- ^ Milmo, Cahal (29 April 2011). "Palace's headaches with the Abbey guest-list". The Independent. London. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
- ^ Gilligan, Andrew (2012-03-15). "Syria: Assad's father-in-law compares Syrian uprising to London riots". Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2019-10-12.
- ^ Spillius, Alex (2012-07-30). "Syria's senior diplomat in London quits over 'violent and oppressive' regime". Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2019-10-12.
- ^ Metzger, Nils. "Frieden für Syrien: Geheimmission Versöhnung (Peace for Syria: Secret Talks for Reconciliation)". www.zdf.de (in German). Retrieved 2019-10-12.
- ^ "Syrian Sunni-Alawite Dialogue Forms Council to Implement Coexistence Agreement". The Syrian Observer. 2019-03-25. Retrieved 2019-10-12.
- ^ Inna Rudolf, ICSR (2018-01-18). "Syria's Best of Enemies Breaking Good". ICSR. Retrieved 2019-10-12.