Syria has said it's ready to take part in peace talks in Geneva and hopes that the dialogue will help the country form a national unity government.
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem made the statement on Thursday during a visit to Beijing.
The U.N. Security Council last Friday unanimously approved a resolution endorsing an international road map for a Syrian peace process.
Moualem said Syria is ready to participate in the dialogue in Geneva without any foreign interference.
"We hope that this dialogue will be successful to help us in having a national unity government. And this government will compose a constitutional committee to look for a new constitution with a new law of election so the parliamentary election will be held within the period of 18 months, more or less."
Moualem says the Syrian delegation will be ready as soon as they receive a list of the opposition delegation.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said after meeting with Moualem that Syria's future should be decided by its own people.
"Syria's future and Syria's state system including its leader should be finally chosen and decided by the Syrian people. This stance is in line with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, in addition to the UN Security Council Resolution 2254 which was recently passed."
Wang Yi invited Syrian government and opposition figures to come to China over the weekend as it looks for ways to help with the peace process.
China has played host to both Syrian government and opposition figures before.
The U.N. plans to convene peace talks in Geneva towards the end of January.
Following their meeting, Wang Yi also announced that China will provide humanitarian assistance worth 40 million yuan, or about 6.2 million U.S. dollars, to Syria.
Both foreign ministers have expressed support for fighting terrorism. Al-Moallem called on the Security Council to block the funding of terrorism and stopping terrorists from getting into Syria.