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Putin says Syria's Assad is open to working with some rebels
Source: Reuters
World | Thu Oct 22, 2015 2:23pm EDT
Putin says Syria's Assad is open to working with some rebels
SOCHI, RUSSIA/MOSCOW | BY DENIS DYOMKIN AND MARIA TSVETKOVA
Russian President Vladimir Putin said his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad had told him he was ready to talk to armed opposition groups if they are genuinely committed to dialogue and to combating Islamic State.
Speaking a day after Assad made a surprise visit to Moscow for talks with Putin -- underlining Moscow's new role as a central player in Syria's conflict -- Putin said the two men had talked about the need for a political solution.
Some Western governments have portrayed Russia as an obstacle to a political deal, especially since it started air strikes on Islamist groups in Syria opposed to Assad, including some backed by the United States and its allies.
But Putin said he believed that the military operation in Syria could create the right conditions for progress in talks on the future of the country.
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Putin says Syria's Assad is open to working with some rebels
SOCHI, RUSSIA/MOSCOW | BY DENIS DYOMKIN AND MARIA TSVETKOVA
Russian President Vladimir Putin said his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad had told him he was ready to talk to armed opposition groups if they are genuinely committed to dialogue and to combating Islamic State.
Speaking a day after Assad made a surprise visit to Moscow for talks with Putin -- underlining Moscow's new role as a central player in Syria's conflict -- Putin said the two men had talked about the need for a political solution.
Some Western governments have portrayed Russia as an obstacle to a political deal, especially since it started air strikes on Islamist groups in Syria opposed to Assad, including some backed by the United States and its allies.
But Putin said he believed that the military operation in Syria could create the right conditions for progress in talks on the future of the country.
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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/22/us-mideast-crisis-syria-putin-opposition-idUSKCN0SG2A620151022
