World and regional powers have begun closed-door talks aimed at salvaging international envoy Kofi Annan's peace plan to end the bloody violence in Syria and find a political solution to the crisis.

Officials from the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council – the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France – gathered Saturday in Geneva. Envoys from Arab countries were also in attendance.

As he arrived for the meeting in Geneva, British Foreign Secretary William Hague urged Russia and China to agree with Western powers on a political transition plan for Syria, although he said that will be difficult.

Hague also said a stable future for Syria means President Bashar al-Assad should relinquish power.

Russia, a long-time ally of Syria, has said any solution to the crisis must be decided by the Syrians themselves. China is taking a similar stand.

Mr. Annan has called for a unity government that would exclude people who jeopardize stability in Syria. His plan does not explicitly say President Assad must give up power.

On Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton failed to agree on how to deal with the rising violence in Syria.

But Lavrov said after the talks in St. Petersburg there is a chance world powers can find common ground on Syria at Saturday's meeting. He said he sensed a change in Clinton's position on the Syria crisis.

Throughout the Syrian crisis, Russia has refused to call for Mr. Assad to step down. Syrian opposition groups say they will not accept any political transition plan that lacks an explicit call for Mr. Assad to leave office.

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