Al-Jubeir: Recent tensions will not affect Syria talks

  RIYADH – Minister of Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir said on Tuesday that regional tensions would not affect talks aimed at ending Syria’s war, the Saudi Press Agency reported. “The recent tensions that impacted the region negatively will not affect the operations that United Nations carries out alongside the international community to achieve a political solution in Geneva soon,” he told reporters after talks with U.N. special envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura.  Al-Jubeir reiterated the Kingdom’s determination to continue extending its full support to the Syrian people in securing their rights and freedom, and bringing the changes that they aspired for to their country. “The Kingdom will continue working with the international community to find a political solution to the Syrian crisis on the basis of the Geneva Declaration 1 and the Vienna and New York talks,” he said. On his part, Mistura said his visit to Riyadh is to meet Al-Jubeir and the Syrian opposition leaders in a bid to go ahead with the peace talks. “There was a clear determination by the Saudi side that current regional tensions would not have a negative impact on the momentum of the talks and on the continuation of the political process in Geneva. We cannot afford to lose this momentum despite what is going on in the region,” he said.