The UN envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura, is to visit Damascus on Thursday to discuss peace "ideas" with the Syrian top diplomat

The UN envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura, is to visit Damascus on Thursday to discuss peace "ideas" with the Syrian top diplomat, a senior government official said.

"He will meet (Foreign Minister) Walid al-Moallem because Syria expects answers to questions" about his plan, the official told AFP.

De Mistura's assistant, Ramzi Ezzedine Ramzi, handed the government a 60-page document in mid-August summarizing "ideas" that the envoy had collected from the government, opposition and civil society.

A diplomat in Damascus said the Syrian authorities had then asked a series of questions and were now awaiting answers.

The diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the government was insisting the "fight against terrorism" be a priority for the political process.

On July 29, the envoy proposed a fresh approach to keeping the stalled peace efforts alive by inviting Syrians to take part in "thematic" working groups.