'Last chance' for peace in Syria

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev voiced strong support for UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan's peace mission in Syria, as the former UN secretary general traveled on to Beijing to discuss Syria with Chinese officials.

"This may be the last chance for Syria to avoid a long-lasting and bloody civil war," Medvedev told Annan at a meeting at the Moscow airport on Sunday. He promised Annan "full support at any level."

Medvedev also said he hoped Annan's efforts would have "a positive outcome."

'Opportunity for Syria'

Annan said he needed strong backing from Russia to help end a year of bloodshed that the opposition says has claimed more than 9,100 lives.

Speaking of his mission, he said that "Syria has an opportunity today to work with me and this mediation process to put an end to the conflict, to the fighting, allow access to those in need of humanitarian assistance as well as embark on a political process" that would lead to peace.

Annan's peace plan calls for a UN-monitored halt to fighting, a withdrawal of government troops from protest cities, a daily two-hour pause in hostilities to allow aid through and access to all areas affected by the conflict.

Neither Annan nor Medvedev made any specific reference to Syrian President Bashar Assad or opposition calls for him to step down.

Talks with Lavrov

Earlier, Annan met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said Lavrov urged Annan to work hard with the government and opposition to seek peace. It said Lavrov also called on other nations to refrain from intervening in Syria's affairs or taking sides.

Russia has in the past accused other countries of supporting the anti-government opposition in Syria.

Russian ally

Annan was in Moscow to drum up Russian support for his diplomatic mission over Syria. On Monday he goes on to China, which has joined Russia in blocking two United Nations Security Council resolutions condemning the Syrian regime's brutal crackdown on dissent.

His meeting with Medvedev comes just days after Moscow finally gave its support to a Security Council statement calling on Syrian government forces to pull out of protest hotspot cities.

Syriais Moscow's last remaining ally in the Middle East and a major customer for Russian arms. However, Russia has been playing down its influence over Damascus, and recently accused Assad of refusing to listen to its advice for resolving the conflict.

"Insufficient response"

Meanwhile, the Arab League has said it will not call for Assad to resign at its annual summit in Iraq this week.

Secretary-General Nabil al-Arabi however told the pan-Arab daily Al-Hayat that Assad's response to peace proposals by Annan had been "insufficient" and that he was planning on submitting a report on the crisis to summit leaders.

Al-Arabi told the paper that Arab leaders would attempt to forge a "unified stand" on the situation in Syria. He said the League would "then go to the Security Council to get a binding resolution to halt the violence in Syria."

Fighting continues

This comes as opposition activists reported fierce fighting between government forces and army defectors in two dissident provinces on Sunday.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said two army deserters were killed in clashes in the town of Azaz in the province of Aleppo. It also said at least five rebels and three government soldiers were killed in fighting in the southern province of Daraa.

Reports cannot be verified as the government mostly does not allow foreign media to enter conflict areas.

tj, acb/mz (Reuters, AFP, AP)