“Before Midnight’ is benefiting from sensational reviews, with a 97 percent positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

There was no immediate decision to send arms to Syrian rebels and all other sanctions remained in force, the EU foreign policy chief said.

The shooting came as Syrian soldiers, backed by Lebanon's Hezbollah fighters, continued an assault on the Syrian border town of Qusair.

Russia and China have held a number of joint military exercises since 2005 in the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

The Syrian military pounded eastern suburbs of Damascus with air strikes and artillery and loud explosions echoed around al-Nabak.