Hague Urges Damascus to Negotiate with Syria Opposition

British Foreign Secretary William Hague on Thursday urged President Bashar Assad's regime to respond positively to an offer of dialogue by Syrian opposition chief Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib.

"There has been a very important offer of negotiation by Khatib of the National Coalition. It is important that that offer is responded to with serious negotiations by the Assad regime," Hague told reporters after holding talks in Beirut with Lebanese President Michel Suleiman.

"A political agreement on a transition is the only way forward to bring to an end this terrible and unacceptable loss of life," he said of the nearly two-year conflict which has claimed around 70,000 lives according to the United Nations.

The British minister also called on Assad to step down.

"It's time to go," he responded, when asked what his message was for Assad.

"The people of Syria ... have experienced enough suffering. Such destruction, such loss of life, such a threat to the stability of the whole region should not be endured because one person wishes to stay in power," he said.

National Coalition chief Khatib at the end of January offered to negotiate with regime officials who have no "blood on their hands" -- naming Vice President Faruq al-Sharaa as a possible pointman for the talks.