Hammond: Britain supports political transition in Syria without Assad

British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond yesterday said that his country supports political transition in Syria that does not include President Bashar Al-Assad.

“Bashar Al-Assad talks about a unity government, by which he means bringing one or two handpicked, regime-friendly oppositionists into minor posts in the government. That is not sufficient,” Hammond told reporters during a press conference with his Lebanese counterpart, Gebran Bassil, in Beirut.

“Syria needs a transitional government which represents all communities… We reject that Assad leads it.”

Earlier this week, Al-Assad said that “a national unity government should be agreed at peace talks in Geneva” noting that the government could then draw up a new constitution, leading to elections.

Hammond said the Lebanese people have coped with all difficulties, adding that his country is working to “protect Lebanon’s sovereignty and wants to train its army to combat terrorism within a programme that will start this year for a period of three years.”

Remarking on the Syrian refugees in Lebanon, Hammond said they were “temporary guests until the situation in their country stabilises”.

According to the UN, nearly 1.1 million Syrian refugees live in Lebanon.