Russia, the only world power with ties to the Syrian regime, on Friday urged President Bashar Assad to talk to the opposition as Moscow itself put out feelers to the rebels.

The new pressure from Russia on the Assad regime came as Moscow revved up its bid to save a tattered peace process by first hosting a top government envoy and then planning for a meeting Saturday with Syria peace mediator Lakhdar Brahimi.

Russia, one of the few powers to maintain links with the Syrian regime of President Bashar Assad, has sent an invitation for talks to the head of the opposition Syria National Coalition, a top diplomat said Friday.

Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov told the RIA Novosti news agency the talks with National Coalition head Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib could take place in Moscow or a foreign location like Geneva or Cairo.

Russia on Thursday warned of "bloody chaos" in Syria should peace talks led by U.N.-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi fail to end the 21-month conflict estimated to have claimed more than 45,000 lives.

"The alternative to a peaceful solution is bloody chaos. The longer it continues, the greater its scale -- and the worse things get for all," Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told the Interfax news agency.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin vowed on Thursday to sign a bill banning Americans from adopting Russian children that has added new strains to the uneasy relations between the former Cold War foes

An aide separately raised the specter of the Kremlin eliminating all foreign adoptions as part of a patriotic drive to limit Russia's dependence on others.

International peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi on Thursday called for "real" change in war-torn Syria and the installation of a transition government with full powers until elections can be held.

"We need to form a government with all powers... which assumes power during a period of transition. That transition period will end with (presidential or parliamentary) elections," the U.N. and Arab League envoy told reporters.

Russia on Thursday denied the existence of any joint plan with the United States on the crisis in Syria, after reports of an initiative that would see President Bashar Assad step down in 2014.

"There was not and is not such a plan and it is not being discussed," foreign ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich told reporters, saying Russia's Syria policy was still based on an accord with world powers made back in June for an inter-Syrian dialogue.

A Syrian government delegation led by Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Muqdad on Thursday began talks at the Russian foreign ministry on the crisis in the country, Russian news agencies said.

The delegation was at the foreign ministry in Moscow, the reports said, without giving further details about the nature of the talks, amid speculation of a new Russia-U.S. initiative to end the crisis.

Iran and Russia are holding consultations to defuse tension in Lebanon over the crisis in the neighboring country Syria.

A diplomatic source told al-Liwaa newspaper on Thursday that the two countries want to end the disputes in Lebanon between the political foes to maintain stability in it.

Russia's upper house of parliament on Wednesday backed a bill barring Americans from adopting Russian children by a unanimous vote, leaving the controversial measure in the hands of President Vladimir Putin.

The rubber-stamp hearing cleared the last legislative hurdle for a bill representing one of the toughest pieces of anti-U.S. legislation to emerge during Putin's 13 years in charge.

Russia's upper house of parliament was due Wednesday to vote for a bill barring Americans from adopting the country's children, in retaliation for a new piece of human rights legislation in the U.S.

The highly contentious bill has inflamed tensions between the two former Cold War rivals at a time when Washington needs Moscow's help to convince President Bashar Assad to quit power in Syria.