Saudi welcomes Russian withdrawal from Syria

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir yesterday described Russia’s decision to partially withdraw from Syria as a “very positive step”, adding that the kingdom hopes the decision would force Syrian regime President Bashar Al-Assad to make concessions.

“It is our hope that it will contribute to an acceleration of the political process based on the Geneva 1 declaration and that it will compel the Assad regime to make the concessions necessary to bring about a political transition,” Al-Jubeir told reporters in the Saudi capital Riyadh.