Assad: 'Terror Groups Blocking Syria Peace'

Syria's President Bashar al Assad has told visiting UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan that "terrorist groups" are stopping a political solution to end the violence in the country.

The pair have held talks in Damascus, with Mr Annan demanding an immediate halt to the unrest and negotiations between the Syrian government and opposition parties.

State TV reported there was a "positive atmosphere" at the two-hour meeting and quoted Mr Assad as telling his guest: "Syria is ready to make a success of any honest effort to find a solution for the events it is witnessing.

"No political dialogue or political activity can succeed while there are armed terrorist groups operating and spreading chaos and instability."

Mr Annan also plans to meet the Syrian opposition before leaving the country on Sunday, but they have also said there is no room for dialogue amid the regime's violent crackdown.

Before he arrived in the capital, Mr Annan, the former UN secretary general, said he would press for a peaceful resolution to the crisis .

"It is a very difficult assignment. It's a tough challenge," he said.

"The first thing we need... is to do everything we can to stop the violence and the killing, to facilitate humanitarian access and ensure that the needy are looked after."

But his visit comes as opposition activists claim the government was still shelling the northern town of Idlib, where at least 15 people have been killed in the latest violence.

In addition, the talks in Damascus come a day after activists said government troops killed at least 68 people as they sought to extend control over the rebellious city of Homs and crush armed opposition in Idlib.

Military reinforcements have been pouring into Idlib this week, including dozens of tanks and armoured personnel carriers, according to reports.

Meanwhile, Arab foreign ministers have also held talks in Cairo with Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov.

Mr Lavrov reportedly told Mr Annan before he left for Damascus that Moscow opposed "crude interference" from outside in Syria's internal affairs.

Russia and China vetoed a UN draft resolution in February which would have backed an Arab League plan calling for Mr Assad to step aside.

Mr Lavrov told Arab leaders his government was not "protecting any regimes" amid what was said to be a tense meeting in the Egyptian capital.

"We are protecting international law... We are not looking for a special prize or geopolitical interest here," the Russian said.

He added Russia was trying to "promote a peaceful resolution" and said: "If we agree to this, then we shall not really engage in discussing who is to blame.

"This could be done later by authority or international structure empowered to do this."

But Qatar's foreign minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani criticised Mr Lavrov's comments, suggesting it was time to send Arab and foreign troops into Syria.

"There is systematic genocide by the Syrian government," he said.

Street protests have swelled every Friday after Muslim prayers since the anti-Assad revolt erupted a year ago, despite violent repression by the military and loyalist militias.

Decisive victory has eluded both sides in an increasingly bloody struggle that appears to be sliding into civil war.

The UN estimates more than 7,500 people have been killed in Syria since protests against the Assad regime erupted a year ago.