Saudi Arabia says it stands by Syrians and their choices

Saudi Arabia stands by the Syrian people and their choices at the current “critical stage,” the Kingdom’s foreign ministry said on Sunday after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

“The Kingdom affirms its support for the brotherly Syrian people and their choices at this critical stage in Syria’s history, and calls for concerted efforts to preserve the unity of Syria and the cohesion of its people, in a way that protects it from slipping into chaos and division,” the ministry said in a statement.

“The Kingdom affirms its support for anything that would achieve the security and stability of sisterly Syria in a way that preserves its sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity,” it said.

The statement called on the international community to support the Syrian people without interfering in the internal affairs of their country.

The ministry urged support for Syria “to help it overcome the devastation endured by the brotherly Syrian people over many years, which claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of innocent people and displaced millions, and during which foreign militias wreaked havoc in Syria, imposing external agendas on its people.”

The Kingdom expressed its satisfaction with the “positive steps taken to ensure the safety of the brotherly Syrian people, to prevent bloodshed, and to preserve Syria’s state institutions and resources,”

“The time has come for the brotherly Syrian people to enjoy the dignified life they deserve, to contribute with all their components to shaping a bright future marked by security, stability, and prosperity, and for Syria to reclaim its rightful place in the Arab and Islamic worlds,” the statement concluded.

Celebrations erupted around Syria and crowds ransacked al-Assad’s luxurious home on Sunday after opposition forces swept into Damascus and declared he had fled the country, in a spectacular end to five decades of Baath party rule.