Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has admitted he held talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on the need to carry out reforms in Syria before Moscow started its aerial operation in the country.
In an interview with U.S. filmmaker Oliver Stone, Putin said that Moscow held a frank dialogue with the Syrian president on the need to adopt radical reforms, prior to committing to military action in Syria.
“It turned out that President Assad himself understands many problems, he is not only ready for dialogue with the opposition, including even with the armed opposition, but is ready to work with them on a new constitution,” Putin said.
“He is even willing to accept that in the future possible early presidential elections will be put under strict and tough international control,” Putin said.
Putin stressed that Russia needs the support of the U.S., and some regional countries to resolve the crisis in Syria, affirming the importance of dialogue to preserve the territorial integrity of the country.
This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
