UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Wednesday, March 28 to quickly implement a peace plan that he has accepted which calls for the army to return to its barracks, Reuters reported.

Speaking in Kuwait, Ban said: "I strongly urge President Assad to put these commitments into immediate effect. There is not time to waste."

He was referring to a plan the UN-Arab League's special envoy Kofi Annan said Assad has agreed to, which stipulates Assad pull troops and heavy weapons from cities before peace talks with his opponents.

"This an important initial step that could bring an end to the violence and the bloodshed and provide aid to those people who are suffering," Ban said, adding a political dialogue would serve "the long-held, legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people."