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Syria's Assad says wants actions, not words from Kerry

16 March 2015 22:41 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad dismissed on Monday remarks made by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry that Assad should be included in negotiations to reach a political transition, saying "declarations from outside do not concern us", APA reports quoting Reuters.

In a Sunday CBS interview, Kerry did not repeat the standard U.S. line that Assad had lost all legitimacy over the shattering civil war in Syria and so had to go. "We have to negotiate in the end," Kerry said when asked whether the United States would be willing to negotiate with the Syrian leader.

Assad said in comments broadcast on Syrian state television:

"We are still hearing the declarations and we should wait for actions and then decide."

Kerry said the United States and other countries, which he did not name, were exploring ways to revive the diplomatic process to end the conflict in Syria, which has left more than 200,000 people dead and displaced about half the population.

"What we're pushing for is to get him (Assad) to come and do that, and it may require that there be increased pressure on him of various kinds in order to do that," Kerry said.

Assad said that any international change in attitude regarding Syria's situation would be positive. But he reiterated that foreign countries should stop supporting terrorist groups in Syria, a term Damascus uses for insurgents who have been fighting the army and allied militia for four years.

"Any talk on the future of the Syrian president is for the Syrian people and all the declarations from outside do not concern us," he said.