International envoy Kofi Annan wants the Syrian government to take the first step in stopping the country's violence, as it is the stronger party in the conflict, his spokesman said Friday in Geneva, dpa reported.
"The deadline is now," spokesman Ahmad Fawzi said three days after announcing that President Bashar al-Assad had accepted Annan's peace plan.
Ceasefire negotiations with the opposition could only start after government forces laid down their arms, he said.
At the same time, Fawzi acknowledged that there were two sides to the conflict.
Annan, the joint envoy of the United Nations and the Arab League, has sent a deputy to Istanbul to talk with opposition members about ending the violence.
On Monday, Annan is scheduled to report to the United Nations Security Council about his recent mediation efforts.
Annan wants to travel to Iran and Saudi Arabia to raise support for his peace plan, Fawzi said.
Iran backs al-Assad, while Saudi Arabia supports the Syrian rebels.