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Annan, Assad agree on Syria plan

International envoy Kofi Annan said he agreed with President Bashar al-Assad on Monday on a new political 'approach' to end Syria's conflict that would be put to the rebels.

'We discussed the need to end the violence and ways and means of doing so. We agreed an approach which I will share with the armed opposition,' he told reporters after meeting Assad in Damascus. The former UN chief, whose military observers in Syria have been grounded due to escalating violence, said he 'stressed the importance of moving ahead with political dialogue, which the president accepted.' They discussed means 'to implement the results of the meeting ... on forming a transitional government in Syria that groups government and opposition representatives without mention of Assad's departure.' World powers at the meeting agreed a plan for a transition which did not make an explicit call for Assad to quit power, although the West and the opposition made clear it saw no role for him in a unity government.

Annan said his talks were 'constructive and candid,' echoing Syrian foreign ministry spokesman Jihad Makdissi who termed the meeting 'constructive and good.'

Meanwhile, Syria's army pounded besieged rebel-held areas of Homs on Monday, monitors said, as troops also shocked Qusayr residents with a morning bombardment and 31 people were killed across the country.

The Observatory for Human Rights said of those killed, 16 were civilians, 11 were regime troops and four were rebels.
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