The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and China held talks on Wednesday as US diplomats drew up a new UN resolution calling for a ceasefire in Syria.
Saudi foreign minister Saud al-Faisal spoke with his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi about "regional and international issues of mutual interest," the SPA news agency said, without specifically mentioning Syria.
China's official Xinhua news agency earlier quoted Yang, who also held talks this week with his counterparts in Egypt and Algeria, as saying he supported sending humanitarian aid to Syria.
"The international community should create favorable conditions in this regard and provide humanitarian aid to Syria," Yang said.
The discussions came as diplomats in New York said the United States is drawing up a new UN Security Council draft resolution on Syria, which would be the third time Western nations and Arab monarchies have tried to force through a resolution during the 11-month old crisis.
France on Tuesday urged Russia and China, both permanent members of the Security Council, not to veto the latest draft.
China and Russia blocked previous attempts by the Security Council to adopt a resolution on Syria, citing highlighting the misuse of the UN Resolution on Libya last year.
"A resolution for a humanitarian ceasefire and access for humanitarian aid in the most threatened areas is under discussion at the Security Council. We can hope that China and Russia will not veto this resolution," French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe told RTL radio.
Kofi Annan, the United Nations-Arab League envoy for Syria, said he would hold talks in New York starting Wednesday with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and member states.
Russia had invited Annan to Moscow for consultations but no date had been set for the visit, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said on Twitter.
Annan, who served as UN Secretary-General from 1997 to 2006, held separate talks in Geneva on Monday with Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi and France's Alain Juppe.
In Syria, regime forces continued to attack the rebel district of Bab Amr in Homs and are close to retaking control of the city, a security source told AFP on Wednesday.
Syrian ground forces were engaged in skirmishes with the last pockets of resistance in the city, the security source said.
Syrian state media reported that a nurse was among the casualties when “armed terrorist group” opened fire inside the Workers' Hospital in Homs.
SANA also said rebels attacked a water plant in the al-Qseir district of the city.
It is difficult to verify accounts of violence in Syria due to restrictions imposed on media and the continuing violence.
Al-Akhbar, AFP, AP
Saudi foreign minister Saud al-Faisal spoke with his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi about "regional and international issues of mutual interest," the SPA news agency said, without specifically mentioning Syria.
China's official Xinhua news agency earlier quoted Yang, who also held talks this week with his counterparts in Egypt and Algeria, as saying he supported sending humanitarian aid to Syria.
"The international community should create favorable conditions in this regard and provide humanitarian aid to Syria," Yang said.
The discussions came as diplomats in New York said the United States is drawing up a new UN Security Council draft resolution on Syria, which would be the third time Western nations and Arab monarchies have tried to force through a resolution during the 11-month old crisis.
France on Tuesday urged Russia and China, both permanent members of the Security Council, not to veto the latest draft.
China and Russia blocked previous attempts by the Security Council to adopt a resolution on Syria, citing highlighting the misuse of the UN Resolution on Libya last year.
"A resolution for a humanitarian ceasefire and access for humanitarian aid in the most threatened areas is under discussion at the Security Council. We can hope that China and Russia will not veto this resolution," French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe told RTL radio.
Kofi Annan, the United Nations-Arab League envoy for Syria, said he would hold talks in New York starting Wednesday with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and member states.
Russia had invited Annan to Moscow for consultations but no date had been set for the visit, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said on Twitter.
Annan, who served as UN Secretary-General from 1997 to 2006, held separate talks in Geneva on Monday with Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi and France's Alain Juppe.
In Syria, regime forces continued to attack the rebel district of Bab Amr in Homs and are close to retaking control of the city, a security source told AFP on Wednesday.
Syrian ground forces were engaged in skirmishes with the last pockets of resistance in the city, the security source said.
Syrian state media reported that a nurse was among the casualties when “armed terrorist group” opened fire inside the Workers' Hospital in Homs.
SANA also said rebels attacked a water plant in the al-Qseir district of the city.
It is difficult to verify accounts of violence in Syria due to restrictions imposed on media and the continuing violence.
Al-Akhbar, AFP, AP
Uprooted Palestinian 
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