Talks with Syria Continue, Decisions to Be Made By Syrian People: Annan

GENEVA  (NNN-Xinhua) -- The United Nations and the Arab League joint special envoy for Syria, Kofi Annan, reported on Friday to the UN Security Council "we were talking with the Syrians and the talking continues."

"I was encouraged by the very strong support and the determination of the council to work together and I hope pretty soon you'll be hearing one voice from the council," he told reporters after a close-door briefing to the security council by video about his mission to Syria.

The former UN secretary-general said he will be sending a team to Syria this weekend to continue the talks and proposals he made to the Syrian government, including stoping the violence, accelerating humanitarian assistance and establishing credibility and confidence for the political process when it is initiated.

The opposition groups also organize themselves for talks with the government when the time comes, he said.

"As long as you believe the discussions and talks you are having are meaningful, I think you should continue; if you come to the conclusion or make the judgment that it's waste of time or one side is playing for time, you draw the consequences and take appropriate action," he said.

Annan said the situation of Syria is much more complex (than Libya).

"We need to handle the situation in Syria very very carefully. Any miscalculation that leads to major escalation will have impact in the region which will be extremely difficult to manage," he warned.

He again emphasized that decisions should be made by the Syrian people.

Annan visited Syria over the weekend and had two meetings with Syrian President Bashar Assad. He also talked with the opposition groups, civil society and businessmen.

As international peace efforts continued, violence and bloodshed showed no sign of abatement.

Government forces clashed with armed groups in central Hama province, leaving a number of gunmen dead and three law-enforcement members wounded.

Meanwhile, the army took over a rebellious city of Idlib province in northwestern Syria on Tuesday night after a four-day major offensive.

The UN said recently more than 7,500 people had died in Syria since the violence began a year ago, while the Syrian government said "armed terrorist groups" had killed more than 2,000 army and security personnel during the unrest. -- NNN-Xinhua