US Secretary of State John Kerry and his French, German, British and Italian counterparts will meet Sunday in Paris to discuss the Syrian crisis ahead of planned peace talks in Geneva, France’s foreign minister said.

US Secretary of State John Kerry and his French, German, British and Italian counterparts will meet Sunday in Paris to discuss the Syrian crisis ahead of planned peace talks in Geneva, France's foreign minister said.

The five diplomats will examine the status of the ceasefire in effect since February 27 and "if everything is going forward as we hope... encourage the opposition to return to the negotiating table," Jean-Marc Ayrault told reporters as he arrived in Cairo Wednesday for a two-day visit.