Syria's al-Assad says ready to negotiate "everything" to stop conflict

In an interview to French media, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said "to negotiate everything" to reach peace and restore stability in the country but noted talks success depends on "who will be from the other side".

Speaking to France info, RTL radio and LCP on Sunday, al-Assad stressed his government "is open" to discuss "everything", including the end of the civil war and Syria's future, but "with a Syrian, local opposition to discuss Syrian problems."

Asked if he would negotiate his position as president, al-Assad said "my position is linked to the Constitution."

He added that that any new Constitution must be put to a referendum, stressing that it was up to the Syrian people to elect the president.

After Syrian forces retake rebel-held area in eastern Aleppo, the al-Assad-led Syrian government agreed to discuss with the opposition a Russian and Turkish-backed peace deal in the Kazakh capital of Astana later this month.

At the end of December, the Syrian government and main armed opposition groups had agreed on a truce accord, the third agreement brokered in 2016, in order to pave the way for peace talks.

However, few days after the deal took into effect, rebels threatened to abandon it, accusing the rival side of violating it.

Syria peace talks have been on hold since April last year amid protracted violence.

source: Xinhua