UN-Arab League peace envoy Kofi Annan has arrived in Damascus for talks with President Bashar Al-Assad, according to his spokesman.
The visit follows the international envoy's admission that his peace plan has so far failed to end nearly 16 months of carnage. It will be Annan's third trip to Syria since the outbreak of the conflict, following a previous visit on 29 May.
Earlier today, Syria's foreign ministry spokesman Jihad Makdissi said the visit was intended to examine the envoy's moribund peace plan.
"It is confirmed that Mr Annan will visit Damascus, within the framework of his mission, for discussions with the Syrian leadership on the subject of the six-point plan," Mr Makdissi said.
The peace plan that Mr Annan brokered had called for a cessation of all violence, free access for journalists and humanitarian aid, as well as a commitment to work towards an inclusive Syrian-led political process.
But a 12 April ceasefire, a key part of the plan, was violated repeatedly despite being accepted by both the regime and the opposition.
The United Nations sent 300 observers to monitor the truce, but their mission was suspended in mid-June when chief observer Major General Robert Mood said the conditions for his team on the ground had become too dangerous.
UN chief Ban Ki-moon called on Friday for scaling down the observer mission in Syria to refocus on political efforts to end the conflict.
Mr Annan told France's Le Monde daily in an interview that the 16-month conflict in Syria showed no sign of ending and there was no guarantee that his mediation would bear fruit.
"It's been three months since I have been involved," he said.
"Great efforts have been made to try and resolve this situation in a peaceful manner with a political solution," he added.
"Evidently, we have not succeeded. And maybe there is no guarantee that we will succeed."
More than 17,000 people have now died since the uprising began in March last year, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The former UN chief oversaw a meeting in Geneva last weekend that agreed on a transition plan for Syria that skirted around the issue dividing Western powers from Russia and China: whether or not Mr Assad should have a role in a new unity government.
Reports from Syria cannot be independently verified as the government has barred international journalists and rights groups.
Assad accuses US of 'supporting gangs'
Meanwhile President Bashar Al-Assad has accused the US of assisting "gangs" to destabilise his country, in a rare interview with a western television channel to be aired today.
The US is "part of the conflict. They offer the umbrella and political support to those gangs to... destabilise Syria," President Assad told German public broadcaster ARD.
According to a text of the interview, carried out on 5 July and due to be broadcast later today, Mr Assad also refused to step down, saying he was staying put to deal with the "challenge" Syria is facing.
"The president shouldn't run away from challenge and we have a national challenge now in Syria," said Mr Assad in English.
"The president shouldn't escape the situation, but from the other side you can stay as president, stay in this position only when you have the public support," he added.
He also said he would not rule out negotiations with Washington.
"We never close our doors in front of any country in this world and any official as long as they want to help in solving the problem in Syria - providing that they are serious and honest."
