Damascus said on Wednesday that no foreign party will be involved in deciding the country's leadership after Arab and Western governments said President Bashar al-Assad should play no future role.
"The Syrian people are the only ones who can choose their leader, and who can decide on Syria's present and future," the foreign ministry said.
While the ministry did not specifically address the conclusions of a meeting of supporters of Syria's opposition in London on Tuesday, it said "the Syrian people will not allow any foreign party to impose itself ... in choosing a government, or in determining its powers and tasks."
The ministry statement comes amid preparations for a peace conference dubbed Geneva 2, which was first proposed by the United States and Russia and would bring government and opposition representatives to the negotiating table.
"Syria reiterated it is ready to go to the Geneva 2 conference, and to try its best to ensure its success without any preconditions or any foreign intervention," the ministry said.
"The Syrian people are the only ones who can choose their leader, and who can decide on Syria's present and future," the foreign ministry said.
While the ministry did not specifically address the conclusions of a meeting of supporters of Syria's opposition in London on Tuesday, it said "the Syrian people will not allow any foreign party to impose itself ... in choosing a government, or in determining its powers and tasks."
The ministry statement comes amid preparations for a peace conference dubbed Geneva 2, which was first proposed by the United States and Russia and would bring government and opposition representatives to the negotiating table.
"Syria reiterated it is ready to go to the Geneva 2 conference, and to try its best to ensure its success without any preconditions or any foreign intervention," the ministry said.
