Canada is suspending work at its embassy in Damascus, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird said.

“Canada is suspending its operations in our mission in Damascus” Baird said at a press conference in Ottawa, saying the move is effective immediately. He also reiterated that Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad should resign because of attacks on his own people.

To contact the reporter on this story: Greg Quinn in Ottawa at gquinn1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Theophilos Argitis at targitis@bloomberg.net