Future of Syria should be determined by its people: Japan

Japan on Monday said that future of Syria should be determined by its people and Tokyo looks forward to a peaceful transition of power following the fall of Bashar al-Assad regime in the war-torn country.

"Japan is concerned about the situation, in which many casualties, including civilians have occurred and the humanitarian situation is deteriorating, while strongly hoping that the current developments will lead to an overall improvement in the situation surrounding Syria," Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi said in a statement.

Japan, he added, "strongly" hopes that the violence in Syria will cease "as soon as possible" and that all Syrians will be able to enjoy their fundamental human rights, dignity, freedom, and prosperity.

"The future of Syria, which holds significant importance for achieving peace and stability throughout the entire Middle East region, should be determined by the Syrian people themselves," he maintained.

"Japan is closely following the series of developments in Syria with grave concern, amid the unstable situation in the Middle East region," he added.

Tokyo also urged all parties to immediately cease the violence, comply with international law, including international humanitarian law, and take necessary steps to reduce tensions in the Middle East.

In particular, Japan called on all parties concerned to fully respect the will of the Syrian people, and to play a constructive role in promoting comprehensive political settlement and national reconciliation, through dialogue among the Syrian people, and ultimately peace and prosperity in the region, based on UN Security Council Resolution 2254.

Bashar al-Assad, Syria's leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia after anti-regime groups took control of Damascus early Sunday, signaling the collapse of the Baath Party regime, which had been in power in Syria since 1963.

This followed the seizure of Aleppo, a major northern Syrian city, by anti-regime groups nearly a week earlier.