Riyadh – Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir stressed during a joint press conference with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov that head of the Syrian regime Bashar Assad has no place in Syria’s future.
He reiterated Riyadh’s stance that Assad needs to leave, either through the political option or through the military one.
Moreover, the foreign minister demanded that the regime pay the price for its use of chemical weapons and that an end be made to the meddling of Iran and “Hezbollah” in the region.
Al-Jubeir praised during the conference the good ties between his country and Russia, saying that Saudi Arabia coordinates stances on the Syrian crisis with Moscow.
The two countries are in agreement on the need to respect the sovereignty of countries.
Commenting on the Yemeni file, al-Jubeir said: “We discussed the situation in Yemen and the need to find a solution to it based on the United Nations Security Council resolution.”
He also stressed support to international envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed.
On the Palestinian cause, he revealed: “We discussed the Middle East peace process and the Syrian crisis and the need to preserve the country’s unity.”
The Syrian regime has repeatedly violated the ceasefire agreement, al-Jubeir declared.
He also backed carrying out investigations in the chemical attack in Syria’s Khan Sheikhoun, saying that the regime has to prove that it does not possess chemical arms.
For his part, Lavrov stated that Moscow and Riyadh can play a role in resolving crises, specifically in Syria.
He noted: “We have clear differences in stances with Saudi Arabia over Syria, but we are working together to find a solution.”
He added that Iran and Russia are present in Syria at the request of the regime.
Furthermore, he voiced his agreement with al-Jubeir’s stance on committing to resolution 2254 on Syria, “but the debate should be over how to implement it.”
“We are satisfied with the discussions we held today with the Saudi foreign minister,” Lavrov stated, adding that talks also tackled the escalating crises in the Middle East and North Africa.