Syria is to allow women and children to leave the besieged city of Homs, following negotiations on the second day of peace talks in Geneva.
Lakhdar Brahimi. Photo: AFP
United Nations mediator Lakhdar Brahimi says it is too early to assess the prospects of a comprehensive deal at the talks, but Syria's government delegation has agreed to let some people out of Homs.
Mr Brahimi said other civilians will be allowed to leave, but the government has asked for a list of their names first to ensure they are not fighters, the BBC reports.
Later, deputy foreign minister Faisal al-Mekdad said the Syrian government was also willing to let an aid convoy into the city.
Mr Brahimi said he hoped a humanitarian convoy from the UN and the Red Cross would be able to go to Homs on Monday.
Hundreds of people are reportedly trapped in besieged parts of the city.
Mr Mekdad said he hoped arrangements could be made with officials to allow the convoy access but that the aid must not fall into "the hands of terrorists", the term Syrian officials use for all armed opposition.
The talks in Geneva are expected to move on to wider political questions including the divisive issue of the transfer of power.
In parallel, intense discussions will also continue about how to ease the siege in Homs and how to implement in full the plan developed by the UN, with US and Russian support to get much needed aid into the city.
Securing that deal in Geneva is being seen as a way to give the peace process an early success and test president Bashar al-Assad's willingness to compromise on something relatively easy.
