Syria's ambassador to the United Nations said today that Damascus has accepted an April 10th deadline for partially implementing international envoy Kofi Annan's peace plan, but wants the same commitment from the opposition.
"The Syrian government is committed but we are expecting Mr Kofi Annan and some parties in the Security Council also to get the same kind of commitments from the (opposition). A plan wouldn't be successful unless everybody is committed to it," Syrian UN ambassador Bashar Ja'afari told reporters.
"It's by common accord between our minister and Mr Kofi Annan," he said when asked who suggested the April 10th deadline.
Mr Annan told the 15-nation council that Syria had agreed to the idea of such a deadline, which would include the end of troop movements toward population centers, the withdrawal of heavy weapons and beginning the withdrawal of troops.
Earlier Russia chided Western and Arab nations that set "ultimatums and artificial deadlines" for ending the bloodshed in Syria and said it was not their place to judge Mr Annan's ceasefire plan.
Foreign minister Sergei Lavrov's remarks, quoted by Interfax news agency, were aimed at the "Friends of Syria" which said in Istanbul yesterday that Syrian president Bashar al-Assad did not have an open-ended opportunity to meet his commitments to Mr Annan.
"Kofi Annan has a mandate from the (UN) Secretary General and the Security Council. The Security Council will judge who should implement his proposals, and how," Interfax quoted Lavrov as saying during a visit to Armenia.
"Ultimatums and artificial deadlines rarely help the matter," he was quoted as telling a news conference. Security Council members China and Russia, as well as Syria's ally Iran, did not attend the meeting in Istanbul, reflecting the divided international response to Syria's crisis.
"We are trying to be friends for all Syrians and not only for one part of the Syrian nation," Interfax quoted Mr Lavrov as saying.
He added that Russia did not attend the conference because the representatives of Dr Assad's government were not invited.
The peace plan includes demands for a ceasefire, the immediate withdrawal of heavy armour from residential areas and access for humanitarian aid.
The UN estimates Syrian security forces have killed more than 9,000 people and rebels have killed 3,000 troops and police.