Syrian opposition leader Moaz al-Khatib, has said that he is willing to hold talks with representatives of the Assad government in the rebel-controlled north of the country.

"If the regime is so concerned about sovereignty and does not want to venture out of Syrian territories, then there is a suitable solution, which is the liberated land in northern Syria," al-Khatib, the head of the Syrian National Coalition said in a statement on his Facebook page, Reuters reports.

According to the opposition leader the aim of the talks would be to find a way for the President Bashar Assad to step down with “the minimum of blood and destruction."

Earlier last week given the dire situation in Syria, al-Khatib said he was ready to meet with Assad’s deputy Farouq al-Shara, in the hope of opening up a dialogue with the government.

The move towards negotiations was praised by the United Nations with the UN’s Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman, describing the offer as "the most promising thing we've heard on Syria recently."

He added the UN and Arab league envoy on Syria Lakhdar Brahimi was exploring how to use al-Khatib’s offer in efforts to find solution to the stalled crisis.

According to UN figures, more than 60,000 people have been killed since Syria plunged into bloody unrest nearly two years ago.

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