Saudi denies exchanging diplomatic representation with Assad

Saudi Arabia has denied having exchanged diplomatic representation with the Syrian regime, which it described as having lost legitimacy, the Anadolu news agency reported.

The official Saudi Press Agency quoted a source at the Foreign Ministry as saying that what was published by the Erm news network that the Kingdom has exchanged diplomatic representation with the illegitimate Syrian regime is incorrect altogether.

Saudi Arabia is a member of the Friends of Syria Group which supports the Syrian opposition against the Syrian regime headed by President Bashar Al-Assad.

Arab Foreign Ministers of States Members of the International Contact Group on Syrian Affairs held a meeting in Jeddah on August 24 to discuss the latest developments in Syria.

The group held its first meeting on February 24, 2012, in Tunisia with the participation of 114 countries. The meeting resulted in the creation of the Friends of Syria group which included 11 countries: Turkey, the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt and Jordan.

A popular revolt against the rule of President Bashar Al-Assad erupted in March 2011, which was oppressed by the Syrian regime leading to the outbreak of armed conflict between the opposition forces backed by several Arab and Western countries and the Syrian regime backed by Russia, Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah.

According to United Nations statistic, the three year conflict has led to the displacement of nearly 10 million Syrians and to the death of more than 191,000.