Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad said his government is ready to negotiate on “everything” in proposed peace talks in Kazakhstan, Reuters reported, but it was not yet clear who would represent the opposition and no date had been set for the talks.
Al-Assad made the remarks in comments to French media about the proposed talks agreed by Russia, Iran and Turkey in the Kazakh capital of Astana.
The president said the government delegation was ready to go to Astana “when the time of the conference is set”.
“We are ready to negotiate about everything,” he said. Asked if that included his position as president, Al-Assad said “yes but my position is linked to the constitution”.
“If they want to discuss this point they must discuss the constitution,” he said. He indicated that any new constitution must be put to a referendum, and it was up to the Syrian people to elect the president.
“Who will be there from the other side? We do not yet know. Will it be a real Syrian opposition?”
Dismissing groups he said were backed by Saudi Arabia, France and Britain, Al-Assad said discussion of “Syrian issues” must be by Syrian groups. The main Syrian opposition umbrella group, the High Negotiations Committee, is backed by Riyadh.
Rebel groups operating under the “Free Syrian Army” banner earlier this month said they had frozen any talks about their possible participation in the Astana discussions due to violations of the ceasefire, chiefly in Wadi Barada near Damascus.