Saudi Arabia on Wednesday reiterated its stand on Bashar al-Assad, saying that there is no place for him in the country’s future.
“We do not believe there is a future for Bashar in Syria,” said Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir during a press conference with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow.
“Assad is responsible for the killing of 300,000 Syrian citizens. He is also to blame for the involvement of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and Hezbollah in carrying out genocide crimes in Syria,” Jubeir added.
Al-Jubeir highlighted Riyadh-Moscow coordination regarding the Syrian crisis, adding that the leaders of both countries agree on respecting the sovereignty of independent states.
He said there are many obstacles that must be overcome via dialogue and mutual coordination. “I am convinced that there are many opportunities to achieve success,” Al-Jubeir added.
Al-Jubeir also supported the idea of an international probe into the chemical weapons attack in the town of Khan Sheikhun, but said the Kingdom still believes the Assad regime was behind the attack.
“We discussed with the Russians the peace process in the Middle East and Syria, and the importance of maintaining its unity. The Assad regime has repeatedly violated the ceasefire agreement and has to prove that it does not have chemical weapons,” the Saudi top diplomat added. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department + Agencies)