On December 8, Syrian rebel forces entered the capital Damascus and announced the end of 24 years of President Bashar al-Assad's government. Photo: Xinhua/VNA

Blinken addressed a press conference on Saturday in the Jordanian city of Aqaba, following talks in Jordan and direct contacts with opposition forces that ousted President Bashar al-Assad. He added the conference agreed on a joint statement that also called for the establishment of a government that is inclusive and representative, while respecting the rights of minority groups and not offering “a base for terrorist groups”.

Jordan, Syria's neighbor, organized an international conference on Syria involving  the US Secretary of State, United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pederson, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, and the foreign ministers of Turkey, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Qatar.