Annan gives Assad 'concrete proposals' to end crisis

DAMASCUS: International peace envoy Kofi Annan said he handed over a set of "concrete proposals" aimed at defusing the Syria crisis during a second round of talks on Sunday with President Bashar al-Assad.

"I presented a set of concrete proposals which would have a real impact on the situation on the ground and which will help launch a process aimed at putting an end to this crisis," he told reporters after the meeting.

The former UN chief had in their first meeting on Saturday expressed "grave concern" over the relentless bloodshed in Syria and "urged the president to take concrete steps to end the current crisis," said a UN statement.