Russia has called for a daily two-hour humanitarian ceasefire in Syria, backing calls from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
In a statement, the foreign ministry called on the Syrian government "and all armed groups who oppose it" to agree to ceasefires "without delay," after ICRC President Jakob Kellenberger held talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday.
Moscow has called for the ICRC to have access to "those detained in Syria for their participation in protests".
Russia is one of President Bashar al-Assad's main remaining international allies, who twice along with China had vetoed a UN resolution at the UN Security Council.
Kellenberger said Russia's support for its appeal was "very important" and that he noted it with "satisfaction and gratitude".
"The most important issue for us is to ensure humanitarian ceasefires as soon as possible," Russian media quoted him as saying.
He said the prospect of more Syrian cities being subjected to the intense military bombardment seen in Homs earlier this year was "absolutely unacceptable".
In February the ICRC, the only international agency to deploy aid workers in Syria, proposed a daily humanitarian ceasefire of two hours to allow time to evacuate the wounded and deliver food, medicine and other vital supplies.
Kellenberger said he told Lavrov the situation had grown more "urgent" and that a likely deterioration made the need for the daily ceasefires all the more important.
"It cannot be that when you have the most intense fighting you do not have access to evacuate the wounded," Kellenberger told the Reuters news agency in an interview.
Fighting in Damascus
Overnight, the Syrian capital, Damascus, has experienced some of its heaviest fighting since the uprising began.
Witnesses said machine-guns and rocket-propelled grenades were heard from the heavily guarded district of al-Mezzeh, where several security buildings are located and which has seen several large anti-government protests.
At least three rebels and a member of the security forces were killed in the Mezzeh district, state television and monitors reported.
The UN says more than 8,000 people have been killed in the uprising, while tens of thousands of people have fled their homes.
Russia has continued delivering arms to Syria, whose ties with Moscow date back to the Soviet era, and has warned Western and Arab nations against military or political interference, while expressing its support for international humanitarian aid efforts.
In a rare show of unity with Western powers, Russia and China joined other UN Security Council members on March 1 in expressing "deep disappointment" at Syria's failure to allow UN humanitarian aid chief Valerie Amos to visit the country, saying she should be let in immediately.
Amos has since been allowed to enter Syria, and has called for unhindered access for humanitarian aid.
US hails truce call
US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said the United States was heartened by Russia's public support for the ICRC ceasefire proposal.
Meanwhile, the UN Security Council could be voting on Tuesday on plans for "further measures" against Syria unless Assad carried out peace proposals forwarded by UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan.
First talks on the statement will be held on Tuesday and France's UN envoy Gerard Araud said he hoped it would be adopted the same day.
The statement calls on Assad and Syria's opposition to "implement fully and immediately" Annan's six-point peace plan. It says the council will "consider further measures" if nothing is done within seven days of any adoption.
PHOTO CAPTION
Jakob Kellenberger, Red Cross president, said Russia's support for their appeal was "very important" [Reuters]
Aljazeera