(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Saudi Arabia's foreign minister yesterday poured cold water on Russian calls to join forces with the Syrian authorities against Islamic State (IS), insisting it was impossible to work with President Bashar Al Assad.
Moscow - one of Assad's few remaining allies - has called for coordination between the Syrian government and members of an international coalition fighting the extremist group, which controls swathes of territory in Syria and Iraq.
But Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al Jubeir insisted there would be no cooperation with the Syrian regime after meeting Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow.
"As for a coalition in which Saudi Arabia would participate with the government of Syria, then we need to exclude that. It is not part of our plans," Jubeir said in comments translated into Russian. "Our position has not changed... there is no place for Assad in the future of Syria," Jubeir said. "We think that Bashar Al Assad is part of the problem, not part of the solution."
Saudi Arabia is already part of a US-led coalition that began an air campaign against IS in Syria last September.
Russia supports Assad while Saudi Arabia insists he must quit to help end a four-year conflict that has cost over 240,000 lives.
The two ministers last met in Qatar on August 3 when Lavrov, Jubeir and US Secretary of State John Kerry held a three-way meeting, with Syria topping the agenda.
Lavrov said Moscow was not looking to establish a formal alliance against the radical group but warned a failure to cooperate could open the door to the extremists. He admitted that there remained "persistent differences" between Riyadh and Moscow over how to tackle the Syrian conflict. "The exit of President Assad is part of these differences," Lavrov said.
Meanwhile, a major conservative Islamist rebel group in Syria announced its support on Tuesday for a joint US-Turkish plan to establish a border zone free of the jihadist Islamic State group.
The powerful Ahrar al-Sham rebel faction said the IS-free zone, planned along a stretch of border in the northern province of Aleppo, "is in the interest of the Syrian people". The safe zone would have "positive effects, from the humanitarian, military, and political perspectives that will serve the interests of both countries", the group's online statement said. Ahrar Al Sham called Turkey, a main backer of Syria's fractious opposition, "the most important ally of the revolution".
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.