Assad says ready to grant amnesty to armed opposition groups

Assad says ready to grant amnesty to armed opposition groups

PanARMENIAN.Net - Members of the armed opposition will have a chance to take advantage of the amnesty offered by the government, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said in an interview with French media, published by the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).

"From what we’ve been implementing during the last three years, because you want genuinely to have peace in Syria, the government offered amnesty for every militant who gives up his armaments, and it worked, and they still have the same option if they want to go back to their normality and to go back to their normal life," Assad said adding that "this is the maximum that one can offer, amnesty."

The president also confirmed his readiness to send an official delegation to the capital of Kazakhstan "when they set the time of that conference."

Syrian government is ready to discuss at talks with the opposition in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana any issues concerning the settlement of the conflict in the country, TASS says.

The Syrian leader noted the issue on power in the country should be decided by the people at elections and the opposition represented at the talks should have support inside the republic rather than express the will of other countries.

"Of course, we are ready, and we announced that our delegation to that conference is ready to go when they define when they set the time of that conference," Assad said answering a question on the readiness to take part in the consultations in Astana. "We are ready to negotiate everything," he added.

"When you talk about negotiation regarding whether to end the conflict in Syria or talking about the future of Syria, anything, it’s fully open, there’s no limit for that negotiation," Assad stressed. "But who’s going to be there from the other side? We don’t know yet," he said speaking about the members of the opposition’s delegation.

"Is it going to be real Syrian opposition - and when I say "real" it means has grassroots in Syria, not Saudi one or French one or British one - it should be Syrian opposition to discuss the Syrian issues. So, the viability or, let’s say, the success of that conference will depend on that point," he said.

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