Kofi Annan will visit Damascus on Monday, Syria’s foreign ministry said, after the international envoy’s admission that his peace plan has so far failed to end nearly 16 months of carnage. “It is confirmed that Mr Annan will visit Damascus, within the framework of his mission, for discussions with the Syrian leadership on the subject of the six-point plan,” ministry spokesman Jihad Makdissi told AFP. Annan himself said that his UN-backed mission has so far failed to halt the bloodshed, while stressing that Russia and Iran must not be sidelined from the peace efforts. “Russia wields influence but I am not sure that the events will be determined by Russia alone… Iran is an actor. It has to be part of the solution. It has influence and we cannot ignore it,” Annan told France’s Le Monde daily. Annan also expressed irritation that while Russia and Iran were mentioned by some as stumbling blocks to peace, “little is said about other countries which send arms, money, and have a presence on the ground.”
