World and regional powers plan to gather Saturday for a meeting called by international peace envoy Kofi Annan, who wants an agreement on new ideas for dealing with the Syrian conflict.

The meeting in Geneva will come a day after 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 with Clinton 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 Syrian crisis.

Lavrov also said there were no ultimatums and that not a word was said that Mr. Annan's plan cannot be changed in Geneva.

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

Lavrov has said any solution to the crisis must be decided by Syrians themselves. He said Russia, a longtime ally of the Assad government, will not support external meddling.

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.

On Friday, Syrian forces pounded the Damascus suburb of Douma with artillery, after one of the deadliest days since the uprising began last March. Syrian rights activists say violence across the country killed at least 180 people Thursday.

The United States said Thursday escalating violence in and around Damascus is a result of Mr. Assad assaulting the Syrian people and is a sign he is losing control of the capital.

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