AMMAN, Jordan

The leaders of Egypt and Jordan on Monday underlined their support for an inclusive and peaceful political transition in Syria following the downfall of the Bashar al-Assad regime.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met in Cairo with Jordan’s King Abdullah II during which they called for “preserving Syria's security, stability, sovereignty, and territorial integrity” and stressed “their respect for the choices of the Syrian people,” Jordan’s royal court said in a statement.

They also affirmed their support for “a peaceful inclusive political transition, in which all Syrian political and social components are represented, and which meets the aspirations of the Syrian people and guarantees their rights,” it added.

Assad, who ruled Syria with an iron fist for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia on Dec. 8 after anti-regime groups seized control of the capital, Damascus. The takeover came after Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) fighters captured key cities across the country in a swift offensive that lasted less than two weeks.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio