Bashar al-Assad Sends Private Message to Pope Francis

Syrian president told pontiff countries supporting rebels groups would have to stop before peace can be agreed, reports say
 

Pope Francis delivers his weekly Sunday Angelus prayer to the gathered faithful below his apartment on St Peter's Square Photograph: Fabio Frustaci/EPA

The Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, has sent a private message to Pope Francis as a delegation from Damascus visiting the Vatican met on Saturday with the pontiff's two most senior diplomatic representatives.

The contents of the message were not disclosed by the Vatican, which said in a statement simply that Joseph Sweid, a Syrian government minister, had met both Francis's secretary of state, Archbishop Pietro Parolin, and foreign secretary, Archbishop Dominique Mamberti.

"The delegation brought a message from President Assad for the Holy Father and outlined the position of the Syrian government," it added.

But, according to Sana, Syria's state-run news agency, the message set out the Assad regime's position ahead of next month's peace conference in Geneva, saying it was willing to take part in the talks but that countries supporting rebel groups would have to stop.

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