Syria talks must lead to ‘transition away from Assad’: Britain

Britain said on Monday that the UN-brokered peace talks on Syria being held in Geneva must lead to a political "transition away" from President Bashar al-Assad. "Syrian peace negotiations must deliver a political transition away from Assad and end the suffering of the Syrian people," British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said in Amman at a joint news conference with his Jordanian counterpart Nasser Judeh. Hammond said he wanted "to acknowledge and welcome the difficult decision of Syria's High Negotiations Committee" to attend the talks, referring to a Saudi-backed opposition coalition.