MIDEAST-CRISIS/SAUDI-RUSSIA Russian and Saudi foreign ministers continue to disagree on Assad fate

Record ID: 144312

  • Title: MIDEAST-CRISIS/SAUDI-RUSSIA Russian and Saudi foreign ministers continue to disagree on Assad fate
  • Date: 11th August 2015
  • Summary: MOSCOW, RUSSIA (AUGUST 11, 2015) (REUTERS) SAUDI AND RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTERS ADEL AL-JUBEIR AND SERGEI LAVROV ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE CAMERA OPERATOR (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SAUDI FOREIGN MINISTER, ADEL AL-JUBEIR, SAYING (ACCORDING TO OFFICIAL TRANSLATION): "We have discussed the crisis in Syria. We have underlined the importance of resolving the Syrian crisis by political means. (PAUSING FOR TRANSLATION) We have also underlined that the position of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Syrian crisis has not changed (PAUSING FOR TRANSLATION) and it is based on the provisions of the first Geneva communique (PAUSING FOR TRANSLATION) and that the Syrian President Assad has no place in the future of Syria, but we have underlined the necessity of retaining the state and military structures after Assad." JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SAUDI FOREIGN MINISTER, ADEL AL-JUBEIR, SAYING (ACCORDING TO OFFICIAL TRANSLATION): "We believe that Bashar al-Assad is a part of the problem, and not a part of the solution for the Syrian crisis. (PAUSING FOR TRANSLATION). We believe that the main source, the main reason behind the creation of Islamic State was the behaviour of Bashar al-Assad because he directed his weapons not against Islamic State but against his own people. That's why we do not see the place for Bashar al-Assad in the Syria future." MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER, SERGEI LAVROV, SAYING: "We have disagreements. One of those disagreements is the fate of President Assad. Our position is that all questions of the settlement, including reaching an agreement on the transitional period parameters and political reforms, should be decided upon by the Syrians themselves." JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER, SERGEI LAVROV, SAYING: "I would very much like for any of the influential countries involved in the events around the Syrian crisis not to have any hopes that the problem of Bashar al-Assad can be solved by military means. Because the only way for such a military solution would be seizing power by Islamic State and other terrorists." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER, SERGEI LAVROV, SAYING: "Bashar al-Assad does not pose any threat to any of the neighbouring countries. But Islamic State poses a threat to Iraq, to Syria, to Saudi Arabia, stating this publicly; they draws some sort of maps, this terrorist machine, from Spain to Pakistan. So we all need to weigh which threat has a larger scale." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER, SERGEI LAVROV, SAYING: "In any case we have agreed to continue work on practical steps which we agreed on. Those steps are aimed at preparing optimal conditions for resuming the dialogue between the government and all Syrian opposition under the auspices of the U.N. Special Envoy de Mistura." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SAUDI FOREIGN MINISTER, ADEL AL-JUBEIR, SAYING (ACCORDING TO OFFICIAL TRANSLATION) (ANSWERING QUESTION ABOUT POSSIBLE CONTRACTS TO BUY RUSSIAN WEAPONS): "Thank you for your question. As I've already said, Saudi Arabia is interested in deepening cooperation with the Russian Federation in all areas, including the military sphere. There are intensive contacts happening now between delegations of military experts of the two countries. The broad range of different Russian weapons is being discussed, including the Iskander missile systems that you mentioned." LAVROV AND JUBEIR ENDING NEWS CONFERENCE, LEAVING
  • Embargoed: 26th August 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA9FUPCKUIF60G6MQF7A7QE9AVX
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS THE FULL QUALITY EDIT TO REPLACE 2157-MIDEAST-CRISIS/SAUDI-RUSSIA-ASSAD
    Russia and Saudi Arabia failed in talks on Tuesday (August 11) to overcome their differences on the fate of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a central dispute in Syria's civil war that shows no sign of abating despite renewed diplomacy.
    "We have discussed the crisis in Syria. We have underlined the importance of resolving the Syrian crisis by political means. We have also underlined that the position of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Syrian crisis has not changed and it is based on the provisions of the first Geneva communique and that the Syrian President Assad has no place in the future of Syria, but we have underlined the necessity of retaining the state and military structures after Assad," Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said at the news conference after the talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow.
    Russia is pushing for a coalition to fight Islamic State insurgents - who have seized swathes of northern and eastern Syria - that would involve Assad, a longtime ally of Moscow. But Jubeir reiterated Riyadh's stance that Assad must go.
    "We believe that Bashar al-Assad is a part of the problem, and not a part of the solution for the Syrian crisis. We believe that the main source, the main reason behind the creation of Islamic State was the behaviour of Bashar al-Assad because he directed his weapons not against Islamic State but against his own people. That's why we do not see the place for Bashar al-Assad in the Syria future," Jubeir said.
    Lavrov pointed out that Syrian residents should be allowed to choose the future of their country for themselves.
    "We have disagreements. One of those disagreements is the fate of President Assad. Our position is that all questions of the settlement, including reaching an agreement on the transitional period parameters and political reforms, should be decided upon by the Syrians themselves," the Russian foreign minister said, adding that the conflict cannot be solved by military means.
    "I would very much like for any of the influential countries involved in the events around the Syrian crisis not to have any hopes that the problem of Bashar al-Assad can be solved by military means. Because the only way for such a military solution would be seizing power by Islamic State and other terrorists," Lavrov said.
    "Bashar al-Assad does not pose any threat to any of the neighbouring countries. But Islamic State poses a threat to Iraq, to Syria, to Saudi Arabia, stating this publicly; they draws some sort of maps, this terrorist machine, from Spain to Pakistan. So, we all need to weigh which threat has a larger scale," he added.
    An uprising against four decades of Assad family rule broke out in 2011 and evolved into civil war in which Islamist militants have become the strongest element fighting Damascus.
    Saudi Arabia is part of a U.S.-led regional coalition conducting air strikes on Islamic State positions in Syria and neighbouring Iraq, but Lavrov said this was not likely to successfully combat the ultra-radical Sunni movement.
    Jubeir and Lavrov said they discussed bringing various opposition groups closer together to improve their chances in facing Islamic State and better coordinate in international talks on solving the conflict.
    "In any case we have agreed to continue work on practical steps which we agreed on. Those steps are aimed at preparing optimal conditions for resuming the dialogue between the government and all Syrian opposition under the auspices of the U.N. Special Envoy de Mistura," Lavrov said in describing Russia's proposal.
    Lavrov said anti-Islamic State forces united on the ground should have wide international backing. But Jubeir specifically ruled out any coalition with Assad and tension between the ministers was often visible during the conference.
    Lavrov still said some "early details" have started to emerge under the Russian proposal but gave no further detail.
    He said Moscow would hold separate talks with Syrian opposition representatives including the Syrian National Coalition and Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union in coming days.
    Moscow is looking to host another round of talks between Damascus and various Syrian opposition groups. Two rounds of such consultations have failed to yield any breakthroughs.
    The two ministers also discussed possible Saudi purchases of Russian arms in the context of a planned visit by the Saudi king to Russia.
    "Saudi Arabia is interested in deepening cooperation with the Russian Federation in all areas, including the military sphere. There are intensive contacts happening now between delegations of military experts of the two countries. The broad range of different Russian weapons is being discussed, including the Iskander missile systems," the Saudi foreign minister said.
    Iskander is a ballistic missile with a short range of about 400 km. (250 miles).
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