Syria has agreed to pull its military out of cities, release prisoners and hold talks with the opposition as part of an Arab plan to end violence triggered by an uprising against Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.
"We are happy to have reached this agreement and we will be even happier when it is implemented immediately," Qatari prime minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani said after Arab foreign ministers met over the plan in Cairo.
Dr Assad has deployed his army and security forces to crush protests inspired by uprisings elsewhere in the Arab world. He has said they are battling Islamist militants and armed gangs.
The United Nations says 3,000 people have been killed in the bloodshed.
Outside the Arab League's Cairo headquarters, a group of protesters chanted "No dialogue, leave Bashar" and "What shame, peaceful protests and he shoots at them". Syria's opposition have dismissed Dr Assad's offer of dialogue as insincere.
The United States reiterated its call for the Syrian president to quit despite the League announcement.
"Our position remains that president Assad has lost his legitimacy to rule and should step down," White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters.
Sheikh Hamad, whose country has led the committee which drew up the plan, said Syria had a agreed to the points including a complete halt to violence, the release of prisoners, removing the military presence from cities and residential areas and allowing the Arab League and media access to report.
The Qatari told a news conference the League would continue contacts between the Syrian government and the opposition "in preparation for a national dialogue within two weeks."
A League statement said: "The Arab committee (overseeing the plan) is responsible for submitting periodic reports to the ministerial council of the Arab League on the progress of carrying out the plan."
Reuters