‘No place in Syria for Assad,’ says Saudi Arabia

ABU DHABI: Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister made clear that his country’s position on Syrian president Bashar Al Assad remained unchanged on Tuesday during a visit to Russia, a key backer of Damascus. “We believe the question of Bashar Al Assad has been solved. There is no place in Syria for Bashar Al Assad,” Adel Al Jubeir said, following a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow. Saudi Arabia and Russia have stepped up diplomatic contacts in recent months, amid a renewed push to find a solution to the conflict in Syria, and also as Riyadh aims to increase its profile as a regional leader. Russia supports Mr Al Assad’s regime, while Saudi Arabia has backed some of the rebel groups seeking to end his family’s decades-long rule.