Syria says President Bashar al-Assad and Arab League chief Nabil Elaraby agreed on a number of “practical steps” to speed up the reform process in Damascus during talks on Saturday.

The state-run SANA news agency also says Elaraby rejected “foreign interference” into Syria's political unrest.

The meeting took place about two weeks after the pan-Arab organization — of which Syria is a member — urged Mr. Assad to stop his violent crackdown on dissent. However, Syrian authorities rejected the Arab League's statement calling for an end to the violence.

Meanwhile, activists say Syrian security forces killed at least six people in government crackdowns on Saturday. The activists say five people were killed in the flashpoint Homs region and one in the northern Idlib province.

Activists also say government forces killed several protesters on Friday as thousands of people rallied in support of Mr. Assad's departure.

The United Nations estimates at least 2,200 people have been killed since the Syrian government began cracking down on dissent in March.

However, Damascus has blamed much of the violence on “armed gangs” and “terrorists.”

Mr. Assad has been facing growing international pressure to curb the violence. On Friday, European Union diplomats said the group had neared an agreement on sanctions banning new investments in Damascus' energy sector. A week ago, the EU announced economic sanctions that include an oil embargo.

Also, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has indicated Moscow may be willing to consider a U.N. Security Council resolution that sends a “strong message” to Mr. Assad.