BALI, January 8 (RIA Novosti) – Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has called on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down, the Jakarta Globe reported Tuesday.
Yudhoyono, the leader of the most populous Muslim country in the world, called during a working visit to Saudi Arabia on Monday for the Syrian strongman to leave his post in order to restore peace and pave the way for a more popular leader, the paper said.
“It is hoped that there will be a new leader who loves the people of Syria more and who can create peace that is acceptable to all and improve the situation,” Yudhoyono said through his spokesman, the paper reported.
Teuku Faizasyah, the president’s top advisor on foreign affairs, also reportedly proposed a three-point plan to end the Syrian conflict, which includes a cease fire, humanitarian aid, and a political transition.
Syria has been engulfed in a bloody civil war between various anti-Assad opposition forces and government troops since March 2011. The UN estimates that more than 60,000 people have been killed so far.
