US launches Caucasus trip amid Syria crisis

YEREVAN / DAMASCUS

Declaring that they are no longer committed to Annan’s peace plan, Syrian rebels claim to have killed at least 80 soldiers over the weekend. AP photo

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton kicked off a South Caucasus tour in Russian ally Armenia yesterday amid continued violence in another regional Moscow ally, Syria.

Ahead of her Yerevan meetings, Clinton spoke with U.N. envoy Kofi Annan, relating to him her plans for June 7 talks in Istanbul with countries that are key to Syria.

Annan, meanwhile, said he would travel to Washington on June 8 to discuss subsequent steps in his six-point plan for the country. Clinton dives into Caucasus politics with four-nation tour 

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has said the Annan plan remains “central” to solving Syria’s crisis, but Annan himself has demanded a “serious review” of efforts to end the bloodshed while calling on world powers to either do more to support his proposals or find a Plan B. Amid fresh clashes in Idlib, the EU intensified talks with Russia yesterday in the hopes of ending Syria’s violence. EU President Herman Van Rompuy met with President Vladimir Putin in Russia but admitted that the two “might have divergent assessments” on Syria.  EU presses Russia on Syria amid fresh clashes

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