The Syrian government is willing to discuss at peace talks an opposition proposal to evict foreign fighters from the country, a deputy minister told Reuters on Wednesday, signaling a rare sign of accord between the warring foes.

The Syrian opposition called earlier for a transitional governing body to be set up that would oversee a total cease-fire under UN monitoring and be empowered to drive out foreign fighters deployed on both sides of the war.

When asked if the government would negotiate on the proposal's point regarding foreign fighters, Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad said: "Of course ... We are not closed to discussing any issue. But we have to discuss them one by one."

However, the two sides are still at odds over a raft of issues, with the government resisting discussion of a transition without President Bashar al-Assad while the opposition called for a UN-monitored cease-fire.

Concern about talks running into the sand prompted the international mediator in Geneva, Lakhdar Brahimi, to bring forward by a day to Thursday a meeting with Russian and US officials in an apparent attempt to get Washington, which backs the rebels, and Assad's ally Russia, to press their protégés.

Continued strains between Russia and other world powers that have so far blocked UN action against the Syrian government showed little sign of easing. Russia said it would veto a UN resolution on aid, saying its wording seemed meant to open the way for foreign military action.

Meanwhile, operations to evacuate civilians and deliver aid in besieged parts of Syria's Homs resumed Wednesday after being suspended a day earlier.

But there was still no word on the fate of hundreds of boys and men detained for questioning by authorities after they were evacuated from the city.