US Secretary of State Antony Blinken agreed Thursday in talks in Rome with European counterparts on the need to encourage stability in Syria, officials said, as Turkey threatens Kurdish forces in the war-torn country.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani will be heading to Syria to encourage the transition in the country following the ouster of President Bashar Assad by Islamist insurgents.

Antony Blinken was heading on Thursday to Rome for talks with European counterparts on bringing stability to Syria in the face of flare-ups with Turkey.

Foreign ministers from Italy, France, Germany, Britain and the United States will meet this week over the situation in Syria, Italy said Tuesday.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet his European counterparts Thursday in Rome on Syria, as the West looks to engage the new Islamist-led leadership.

Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani will host on Thursday at Villa Madama in Rome a meeting of foreign ministers of the so-called Quintet - United States, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Italy - to be also attended by the European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

A stable Syria is a common goal a month after the Assad regime fell to Islamist-led rebels, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan in a phone conversation ahead of a Thursday night summit in Rome of the so-called Quintet - United States,

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani is travelling to Syria on Friday to encourage the transition in the country following the ouster of President Bashar Assad by Islamist insurgents

The foreign ministers will discuss a landmark national dialogue conference that Syria's new leaders say will set the priorities for the country. Initially planned for January, the

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani is travelling to Syria on Friday to encourage the transition in the country following the ouster of President Bashar Assad by Islamist insurgents.