A handout picture released by the Egyptian Presidency on October 25, 2015 shows Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi (C) and Foreign Minister Sameh Shokri (3-R) meeting with Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir (3-L) and other officials in the Egyptian capital, Cairo. (AFP Photo/HO/Mohammed Samaha/Egyptian Presidency)
Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat—Countries involved in talks on Syria are close to finding a political solution to the crisis in the war-torn country, Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir said on Sunday.
Speaking in Cairo following a meeting with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shokri and President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, Jubeir said there was “some progress and a convergence on the [different international] positions seeking to find a solution to the Syrian crisis.”
“However, I cannot say that we have reached an actual solution yet. We need more consultations and talks in order to reach this point,” he added.
“There are currently ongoing international consultations regarding implementing the outcomes of the [2012] Geneva meetings [on Syria]. We are committed to this and aim to establish an interim governing council which will put forward a new constitution . . . manage civil society and military institutions, and prepare new elections,” Jubeir said.
However, he added that “there should not be any role for Bashar Al-Assad in Syria’s future. This is the Kingdom’s position and that of most other countries.”
This comes as Russia put forward a plan in recent days that would see a political transition in the country through new parliamentary and presidential elections. Moscow however wants to see Assad playing a role in the next stage, something which other countries such as the Kingdom, the US, and the UK are opposing.
A Russian lawmaker who met Assad in Damascus on Sunday said the Syrian president’s “priority” was currently to defeat terrorist groups operating in the country. On Monday Assad said “eliminating terrorism” would help the success of any political track in the country, according to state news agency SANA.
Meanwhile, following his meeting with Jubeir on Sunday, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shokri denied there were any tensions between Cairo and Riyadh on the Syria issue.
“There were never any differences previously nor are there any differences right now [on Syria] . . . . we want to achieve the same result.”
While most Gulf countries have been critical of Russia’s recent airstrike campaign in Syria, Egypt appeared to welcome the action.
A statement from President Sisi on Sunday also said that Cairo was looking to increase cooperation between Egypt and Saudi Arabia on the most pressing issues facing the region, with the Syrian crisis at their head.
He stressed a “united Arab front” was needed on such issues in order to protect the region against what he called “foreign interference.”
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia and the United States announced on Sunday that they would be boosting their support for moderate Syrian opposition fighting groups, following meetings between Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Bin Abdulaziz and US Secretary of State John Kerry in Riyadh on Saturday.