New United Nations envoy to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi has held his first talks with President Bashar al-Assad.
The UN-Arab League mediator is on his first trip to Syria, where thousands have been killed since the conflict began in March last year, the BBC reports.
Aftef the meeting he warned that the crisis was deteriorating and presented a "threat to the world", as well as the region and the Syrian people.
Mr Brahimi met members of the officially tolerated opposition on Friday.
It's Mr Brahimi's first visit to Syria since taking over from the former UN secretary general, Kofi Annan, who resigned from the post in August in frustration at the failure of his peace plan.
