Syria ready to talk with armed opposition

The Syrian Foreign Ministry said on Monday that it is prepared to talk with anyone ready for dialogue, including the armed opposition.
 
The ministry did not mention whether fighters would have to lay down their arms prior to talks or not.

Syrian Foreign Minister, Walid al-Moallem, is reported as saying: “We are ready for dialogue with anyone who is willing, even those who carry arms.” Noting that his call for dialogue was aimed at the fighters who have been trying to topple Syrian president Bashar al-Assad for last two years, he said, “We are confident that reforms do not come through bloodshed but through dialogue”.
 
He noted that the Syrian regime had formed a governmental coalition in readiness for dialogue with the opposition “inside Syria or abroad.”
 
On his part, Sergey Lavrov said that the only “acceptable” solution in Syria is a political resolution that brings the bloodshed, which has been continuous for the past two years, to an end.
 
Warning of the continued bloodshed, Lavrov said: “There are no alternatives to a political resolution reached through an agreement between the government and the opposition.”