Assad could go in peace deal - Syria

RUSSIA: A top Syrian minister on Tuesday held out the prospect of strongman Bashar al-Assad stepping down as part of a negotiated settlement to 17 months of bloodshed that activists say has killed 23,000.

The comments from Syria's Deputy Prime Minister Qadri Jamil came following talks with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and other Moscow officials who are keen to keep their sway over the Soviet-era ally in case of the fall of Assad.

Jamil rejected the idea of making Assad's resignation the condition for any future negotiations -- a demand made not only by the armed opposition but also Washington and several big European states. But he said the president's departure could be a topic of discussion. "As far as his resignation goes -- making the resignation itself a condition for holding dialogue means that you will never be able to reach this dialogue," said Jamil.

But the minister added in remarks translated into Russian: "Any problems can be discussed during negotiations. We are even ready to discuss this issue." The United States announced on Monday that it would be promoting Assad's resignation during meetings with new UN peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi despite his initial refusal to back the idea. AFP