A peace plan drawn up by international envoy Kofi Annan is the only alternative to tackle the violence in Syria, the European Union's foreign policy chief said Tuesday, amid further reports of deadly shelling in the Middle Eastern country, dpa reported.
"The implementation of the ... plan is certainly not easy and its viability has been questioned, but, despite all its challenges, it represents today the best way forward," Catherine Ashton told EU lawmakers during their plenary in Strasbourg, France.
"No other option has been able to gather any kind of international support," she added, calling on holdouts China and Russia to help the international community "unite and apply more effective pressure."
Ashton also urged the opposition in Syria to "put its differences aside" and "finally come together" to help pave the way for a political transition in the country.