(13 Mar 2012) 1. Wide of UN peace envoy Kofi Annan at news conference following meeting with the head of the opposition Syrian National Council, Burhan Ghalioun
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Kofi Annan, UN peace envoy:
"I'm expecting to hear from the Syrian authorities today, since I left some concrete proposals for them to consider. And once I receive their answer, we will know how to react."
3. Wide of Annan at news conference ++Repeat of shot 1++
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Kofi Annan, UN peace envoy:
"I have made it clear at the beginning of my mission that my main preoccupation is the welfare of the Syrian people and the Syrian nation. We should put the interests of the people at the centre of everything that we do, and I know there's a strong international community support. The whole world is coming together in working with us to resolve the situation in Syria."
5. Cutaway of journalists
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Kofi Annan, UN peace envoy:
"And I also had the chance this morning to meet with Doctor Ghalioun of the Syrian National Council. It was a useful meeting, we had constructive discussions as to my approach and how the future development of the process will be. And they have also promised their full co-operation, which will be necessary if we are going to succeed."
7. Cutaway of journalists
8. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Burhan Ghalioun, head of the opposition Syrian National Council:
"Some countries have promised arms for the Syrian opposition. We are racing against time. The main aim is for a political and diplomatic solution. But if this does not come about, then these countries will keep to their promise and give that aid to the opposition."
9. Wide of Ghalioun at news conference
10. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Burhan Ghalioun, head of the opposition Syrian National Council:
"This is Kofi Annan's plan. He would prefer to solve this situation diplomatically, both for the benefit of the Syrian opposition and for the Syrian government. Arms are out of the question. Arming the opposition is especially out of the question and (we're) not for it."
11. Wide of Ghalioun at news conference
12. Ghalioun leaving news conference
STORYLINE
Syrian officials are expected to respond on Tuesday to a number of concrete proposals on how to end the violence in their homeland, UN peace envoy Kofi Annan said.
Annan, who is in Turkey, left the Syrian capital Damascus on Sunday without a deal to end the country's year-old conflict.
"We expect to hear from the Syrian officials today," Annan told reporters in Ankara.
"Once we have received their answer, we will know how to react," he added, after holding talks with the head of the opposition Syrian National Council, Burhan Ghalioun.
Annan expressed hope that a solution can be found.
"The whole world is coming together in working with us to resolve the situation in Syria," he said.
Annan's peacemaking mission is faltering, with both the Syrian government and the opposition refusing to talk to one another.
Ghalioun said there was a "race against time" to resolve the crisis peacefully, noting that "some countries have promised arms for the Syrian opposition".
"The main aim is for a political and diplomatic solution. But if this does not come about, then these countries will keep to their promise and give that aid to the opposition," Ghalioun added.
The UN estimates that more than 7,500 people have been killed during the year-long uprising against the regime of Syrian President, Bashar Assad.

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