ROME, March 18 (UPI) -- The United States under President Barack Obama will build better ties with the Syrian government through his policy of engagement, the Syrian president said.
The Obama administration has embarked on a diplomatic strategy meant to restore tenuous diplomatic relations following years of isolation under U.S. President George W. Bush.
Syrian President Bashar Assad said Wednesday in an interview with the Italian daily La Repubblica that the Obama strategy of restoring diplomatic ties with possible regional partners in the Middle East was a welcome effort.
"Today America is a military giant, but immensely fragile politically," he said. "Obama needs to restore the credibility of the U.S. The first steps are encouraging."
Assad also praised Turkish efforts at "cultivating" regional relations where the United States and Europe have been unable or unwilling to be effective, Italian news agency Adnkronos International reports.
Washington has been exploring the possibility of restoring formal diplomatic ties with Damascus. Two envoys were dispatched to Syria earlier this month to explore common ground between the two countries.
