UPDATE 1145 GMT: After telling a US television channel that he is open “in principle” to dialogue with Washington, President Assad has explained to Russian journalists that America is a “war-monger”.

Assad endorsed Moscow’s pursuit of talks between the regime and selected opposition figures as “very positive” and “necessary”. He then denounced Western countries for a “push towards a military war in Syria and the region”:

The Russian initiative was positive because it emphasized the political solution, and consequently preempted the attempts of warmongers in the West, particularly in the United States, France, and Britain, as they have done in the Ukraine.

Assad said later in the interview:

The statements we have been hearing since the beginning of the crisis reflect the Western mentality, which is colonialist by nature. The West does not accept partners. If they don’t like a certain state, they try to change it, or replace its president….

The same thing is happening now in Ukraine. And this is what they aim for in Russia. They don’t like President Putin, so they demonize him.


In an interview with the US outlet CBS News, President Assad has said that he is open “in principle” to dialogue with the US, while remaining cautious about any engagement:

Assad was responding to CBS’ presentation of garbled — and misreported — comments by US Secretary of State John Kerry earlier this month about Assad’s invovlement political negotiations with the opposition.

The President said:

I would say what we have in Syria so far is only a statement, nothing concrete yet, no facts, no new reality regarding the political approach of the United States toward our situation, our problem, our conflict in Syria.

But, in principle, in Syria we could say that every dialogue is a positive thing, and we are going to be open to any dialogue with anyone, including the United States, regarding anything based on mutual respect.

Assad said there had been no communication with the US. Pressed if he would like that communication, he repeated that he was open to dialogue provided it respected the “sovereignty” — i.e., his continued leadership — of Syria.

The Assad regime expressed support last week for a second set of talks in Moscow with selected groups from the opposition.

Previously, Damascus had been limited in its engagement with Moscow’s initiative. In late January, it sent a lower-level delegation, headed by Syria’s UN Ambassador Bashar al-Jaafari, to discussions with some opposition representatives. Major opposition factions from inside and outside Syria did not attend.

More extracts from the interview will be broadcast on CBS on Friday and the full discussion will be shown on Sunday night.