“We certainly view the fact that Kofi Annan reports that he’s had a positive response as an important step,” State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said.

“But as with all things with the (President Bashar) Assad regime, the proof will be in the actual action that he takes,” Nuland said.

“We will be looking for him to take immediate action to begin implementing Annan’s proposals, starting with silencing his guns and allowing humanitarian aid to go in,” Nuland said.

Annan aides said the Assad government has accepted a six-point proposal by Annan, the UN-Arab League special envoy, on halting more than a year of bloodshed in the strife-hit country.

Meanwhile, a draft resolution on Syria to be submitted to the Arab summit in Baghdad this week urges “serious national dialogue” and calls on Syria to end violence, according to copy obtained by AFP yesterday. The draft resolution urges the “Syrian government and all opposition factions to deal positively with the (UN-Arab League) envoy (Kofi Annan) by starting serious national dialogue.”