Doha, State of Qatar (Weltexpress). As announced by the Saudi Foreign Ministry after the meeting, the participants in the Syria talks in Riyadh, capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, discussed ways to support the political process in the Syrian Arab Republic following the change of power in that country, while preserving its sovereignty and independence.
‘The participants discussed support for the political transition process in Syria, in which the political and public forces of Syria will be represented, with due respect for the rights of all Syrians,’ it said. The participants expressed their readiness to work towards the resolution of all challenges and concerns of all parties through dialogue, support, advice and consultations, while respecting the independence and sovereignty of Syria. The participants at the meeting agreed that it is up to the Syrians to decide on the future of their country.
The Saudi-led talks on Syria are taking place in Riyadh, with the participation of the foreign minister of the Syrian transitional government, Asaad Hassan al-Shibani. The meeting was also attended by senior diplomats and officials from Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as the head of the European Union’s diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, and the United Nations envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen. The talks were preceded by a meeting between al-Shibani and top diplomats from Arab states.
In 2024, armed opposition units in Syria launched a large-scale offensive against government troops in the governorates of Aleppo and Idlib at the end of November. On 8 December 2025, they entered Damascus while President Bashar al-Assad resigned and fled the country. On 10 December 2025, Mohammed al-Baschir, who had headed the so-called Syrian Salvation Government in the governorate of Idlib, announced his appointment as head of the Syrian transitional government and stated that the transition period would last until 1 March 2025.
