Arab foreign ministers urge support for inclusive, 'peaceful' Syria transition

Top diplomats from eight Arab countries, meeting in Jordan on Saturday, called for a peaceful transition in Syria with UN and Arab League support following Bashar al-Assad's ouster.

In a final statement after the talks in the Jordanian Red Sea port of Aqaba, foreign ministers from Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar said they had agreed to "support a peaceful transition process" in Syria, "in which all political and social forces are represented".

Anti-Assad forces, led by Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), toppled the longtime ruler on Sunday following a lightning offensive.

HTS is rooted in Al-Qaeda's Syria branch and is designated as a "terrorist" organisation by many Western governments but has sought to moderate its rhetoric.

A transitional government installed by the rebel forces has insisted the rights of all Syrians will be protected, as will the rule of law.

The foreign ministers, meeting in Aqaba in the presence of Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit, said the political process in Syria should be supported by "the United Nations and the Arab League, in accordance with the principles of Security Council Resolution 2254" of 2015, which set out a roadmap for a negotiated settlement.

The Arab diplomats also declared their backing for a transitional rule agreed upon by Syrians, which would enable "a political system that corresponds to the aspirations of all parts of the Syrian people, through free and fair elections overseen by the United Nations".

They also warned against "any ethnic, sectarian or religious discrimination" and called for "justice and equality for all citizens".