MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The process of a political settlement in the ongoing Syrian civil war can be achieved no more than two years after terrorism is defeated in the country, Syrian President Bashar Assad said.
"This timetable starts after starting defeating terrorism. Before that, there will be no point in deciding any timetable. They [terrorists] are already the main obstacle of any real political advancement. If we talk after that, one year and a half to two years is enough for any transition," Assad said in an interview with the Italian RAI UNO television on Wednesday evening.
According to the Syrian president, two years would be enough time to implement a new political procedure, including a new constitution, referendum, or parliamentarian or presidential election.
The latest round of international meetings on a settlement of the four-year Syrian civil war took place in Vienna on Saturday, defining a political solution for the war. According to an agreement reached in Vienna, formal talks between the Syrian government and opposition factions must take place by January, with a view to presidential elections in the country within 18 months.
The fate of Assad has been a stumbling block in the Syrian peace talks, with the United States and its allies insisting that he must step down, and Russia saying it is for the people of Syria to decide on his future.
