Bouthaina Shabaan, Assad's media and political adviser, speaks to Al Jazeera

"This is not a concession [by the government]," Shaaban told Al Jazeera in an interview.

"In 2013, the government put in place a plan to reach all areas affected by terrorists." The government routinely labels all armed opposition as terrorists.

Zeina Khodr interviews Bouthaina Shabaan, al-Assad's government adviser.