Gen. Mood: Syria committed to U.N. peace plan

DAMASCUS, Syria, July 5 (UPI) -- The head of the U.N. observer mission in Syria said the Syrian government has "indicated a clear commitment" to the U.N.-brokered peace plan.

The comments by Maj. Gen. Robert Mood of Norway Wednesday came after he met with a Syrian government working group, led by Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mikdad, Day Press News reported.

"I received from the government a very clear commitment to the six-point [peace] plan," Mood told reporters in Damascus.

Mood said he had attended the first meeting of the U.N.-backed Action Group on Syria, which includes Western and Gulf Arab states supporting opponents of Syrian President Bashar Assad as well as Russia, Syria's main ally.

Mood said monitors couldn't resume their work in the country amid the "unprecedented" levels of violence, the BBC reported.

The 300 monitors suspended operations in June.

Mood said when "the conditions on the ground allow the implementation of our mandated tasks, we will resume our mandated tasks."

Mood reaffirmed the U.N. commitment to Syria.

"Let me convey to you and to the Syrian people that the commitment of the United Nations to the welfare of the Syrian people and to the future is strong, it remains strong and it will continue," he said.

Mood criticized the international community for not doing enough on the ground to stop the violence in Syria.

"Let me also say that the urgency of stopping the violence is maybe the most important issue for everyone involved," he said. "There is this feeling that it's too much talk in nice hotels, in nice meetings, and too little action to move forward and stop the violence."

The United Nations has estimated more than 10,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Syria and tens of thousands displaced since the uprising against Assad began 16 months ago.