Putin - Syria leadership must establish contact with opposition forces

SOCHI, Russia (Reuters) - The Syrian leadership must establish contact with opposition forces that are ready for dialogue, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday, adding that Bashar al-Assad was ready for this dialogue.

Putin also said at a meeting with foreign dignitaries in Sochi, southern Russia, that domestic political problems were also partly to blame for Syria's crisis, and not just Islamist militancy.

(Reporting by Denis Dyomkin; Writing by Polina Devitt and Alexander Winning; Editing by Christian Lowe)