Assad’s comments come as top diplomats from Russia, the US, Saudi Arabia and Turkey are discussing new ideas to revive a failed political transition in Syria to end the war, now in its fifth year.
The war, which has killed 250,000 Syrians and displaced millions, has become increasingly complex as Russia and a US-led coalition attack different insurgent groups in Syria in separate and uncoordinated air campaigns.
Russian lawmakers meanwhile told Russia media that Assad is prepared to take part in an early presidential election, hold parliamentary elections and discuss constitutional changes, but only after the “terrorist” forces in Syria are defeated.
Communist lawmaker Alexander Yushchenko told the Tass news agency that the Syrian president is ready if necessary to hold an early presidential election but only “after victory over terrorism on the territory of Syria.”
Sergei Gavrilov, another Communist lawmaker, told Tass that Assad was ready to hold parliamentary elections that included “reasonable, patriotic opposition forces.”
The new diplomatic push follows the recent Russian military intervention in Syria, targeting what Moscow and Damascus call “terrorists” with daily airstrikes.
Opposition groups and Washington say the Russian air campaign aims to bolster Assad who has faced major setbacks from advancing insurgents, including western-backed rebels, ultraconservative Islamists as well as militant groups.
Russia says it is targeting the Islamic State group and other terrorists in Syria, but most of the Russian airstrikes have focused on areas where the IS militants do not have an active presence.
Russian airstrikes have also enabled a government ground offensive on a number of fronts, backed by allied troops from Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.
Meanwhile, Moscow has invited the US, Saudi Arabia and Turkey to coordinate their air campaign, which targets the Islamic State group in Syria.