Syria's foreign minister told Russian diplomats that his government is ready to hold talks with the armed opposition, but he did not say whether Damascus expects the rebels to lay down arms first.
Walid al-Moallem made the remarks in Moscow as he met with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov.
"We're ready for a dialogue with anyone who's willing for it, even with those who carry arms," Walid al-Moallem said.
"We are confident that reforms will come about not with the help of bloodshed but through dialogue," he said.
Russia and the Arab League last week said they will attempt to establish direct contact between the two sides in the conflict, which the United Nations says has killed at least 70-thousand people.
Lavrov, whose country is one of Syrian President Bashar Assad's closest allies, called on Damascus to hold negotiations with the opposition.
"We stand for the independent and united Syria where all groups of people of any nationality and confession, regardless of political views, could live free in the conditions of peace, stability and democracy," Lavrov said.
He added that anyone seeking to continue the conflict in Syria were sabotaging the government's efforts to establish contact with the Syrian opposition.