Syria accuses Saudi of playing 'destructive' regional role

Syria's Foreign Ministry Tuesday condemned Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir's remarks, which reiterated Riyadh's stance that President Bashar al-Assad must go.

In a statement transmitted by the state news agency SANA, the ministry said al-Jubair's remarks reflected the "destructive role" Saudi Arabia has been playing in the "aggression" against Syria.

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir reiterated Riyadh's stance that "al-Assad is part of the problem, not part of the solution to the Syrian crisis," he said following talks Tuesday in Moscow. "There is no place for Assad in Syria's future."

President al-Assad's fate has for long been a critical dispute in the country's long-running conflict, and Saudi's renewed stance means that Moscow and Riyadh have yet to overcome this issue.

"Key reasons behind the emergence of the Islamic State (IS) were the actions of al-Assad who pointed his weapons towards his people and nation, not the IS," Jubeir said in a press conference in Moscow Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the Syrian Foreign Ministry charged that "IS was bred by the Wahabi regime (the religious creed adopted in Saudi Arabia) with both sharing similar worldviews and methodologies."

Syria and Saudi Arabia have emerged as arch-enemies during the country's long-running conflict.

Still, the recent initiative by Moscow regarding an anti-terror coalition between Syria and Saudi Arabia has led to a sentiment that relations between both countries may change, however, currently it looms as a far fetched dream amidst mutual distrust and accusations.