DUBAI – Saudi Arabia, a main backer of Syrian rebels, said on Sunday it still supported an international agreement on the future of Syria and President Bashar al-Assad should have no role in any transition to bring the war there to an end.
The Saudi Foreign Ministry denied media reports that Saudi Arabia was considering a political transition with a first phase in which Assad will stay in power.
Several media, including the state-owned Russia Today, said Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir had informed the Syrian opposition’s High Negotiations Committee (HNC) about the decision.
A ministry statement, carried by the Saudi state news agency SPA, called the reports attributed to al-Jubeir “inaccurate”.