US, Arab states blame Assad for atrocities in Syria

New York, Sept 27: The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) for Arab States, in a meeting with the US Secretary of State John Kerry, said Syria's President Bashar al-Assad and senior Syrian officials were accountable for all the atrocities being suffered by the Syrian people.

The meeting, held on the margins of the 68th session of the United Nations General Assembly Thursday, was also attended by US Secretary of Defence Chuck Hegel.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed the developments in the Middle East peace process, efforts to settle the standoff in Syria, the issue of chemical weapons in Syria, developments in Egypt and topics related to Iran, including the Iranian nuclear programme, according to a joint statement issued by the GCC and the US.

They also called for a speedy political transition process in Syria that would reflect the aspirations of the Syrian people and their unity in the framework of political pluralism and respect for human rights.

On the developments in Egypt, the two sides stressed on the importance of stability in Egypt. They expressed their support for the future roadmap and schedule to form a constitutional and democratic government in Egypt.

Regarding the Iranian nuclear programme, the statement called on the Iranian government to respect the Non-Proliferation Treaty and the UN Security Council resolutions to reach a peaceful settlement.

IANS