Damascus--UN Syria peace envoy Staffan de Mistura will arrive in Damascus on Friday for talks on a bid to freeze fighting in Aleppo, the Al-Watan newspaper reported Thursday.
"De Mistura will discuss his proposal with the Syrian ministry of foreign affairs," Al-Watan, which is close to the government, said citing "well-informed sources".
The newspaper said De Mistura's deputy Ramzy Ezzeldin Ramzy had arrived in Syria on Wednesday to prepare for the envoy's visit.
The trip will be De Mistura's first since he announced that Damascus was willing to halt fire on Aleppo for a six-week period.
"The government of Syria has indicated to me its willingness to halt all aerial bombing and artillery shelling for a period of six weeks all over the city of Aleppo from a date we'll announce from Damascus," De Mistura said on February 18.
Under the plan, rebels would be asked to also suspend rocket and mortar fire in the city during the freeze period.
De Mistura has said also that he had asked the Syrian government to allow a UN team into Aleppo to identify a district for a trial ceasefire.
French parliamentarians who met Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Wednesday have said the embattled leader expressed support for De Mistura's plan.
But the initiative was launched as regime troops began a new offensive north of Aleppo city, aimed at encircling rebels there.
The troops have largely failed to seize the territory they targeted, but Syria's Assafir daily said Thursday that top army commander Colonel Suhail al-Hassan has been sent to Aleppo to continue the fight.
afp
