Syrian government says open to "any political solution"

The Syrian presidential media office said Tuesday that the Syrian leadership is open to any political solution as long as it "preserves the unity of Syria, curbs the bloodletting and serves Syrian interests."

The statement, reported by state news agency SANA, came in response to recent remarks by a visiting Russian lawmaker Aleksandr Yushenko.

"Regarding the remarks of the Russian MP who met with President Bashar al-Assad and later gave statements that the president was ready to hold early parliamentary and presidential elections, we say that the Syrian state would welcome and adopt any political solution so long as it preserves the unity of Syria, curbs the bloodletting and serves Syrian interests," the statement said.

It stressed, however, that no idea or initiative can be implemented without countering and defeating terrorism first.

The statement came two days after the visit of Yushenko, who said the Syrian president had agreed to hold preliminary elections on the condition that the move has the backing of the Syrian people.

Yushenko, who met with Assad on Sunday along with a delegation of Russian lawmakers, said Assad "is ready to discuss amendments to the constitution, hold parliamentary elections."

He said Assad also expressed the readiness to hold presidential elections, if the people of Syria deem necessary, but such elections can only happen "after the victory over terrorism... and the country's liberation." Endit