Arab League Chief to Head to U.N. for Syria Talks

Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi is to head to New York later this week for talks on Syria with U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon, a League official said on Monday.

"Arabi's four-day visit, starting on Thursday, will focus on the Syrian crisis and on efforts to convince the U.N. Security Council of the need for an urgent solution," the official added.

Arab ministers at a meeting on Saturday in Doha urged the United Nations to refer joint envoy Kofi Annan's six-point peace plan for Syria to Chapter VII, without explicitly calling for military action.

Chapter VII outlines action the U.N. Security Council might take, including military force, in response to threats to international peace, breaches of the peace and acts of aggression.

The Council "must honor its responsibilities, in accordance with the U.N. Charter, and take the necessary measures to guarantee the full and immediate implementation of the Annan plan, in a limited time frame," the ministers said.