Syria on Monday expressed its welcome toward the upcoming visit of Kofi Annan, the United Nations (UN) and Arab League's (AL) special envoy to Syria, and approved the visit of a UN emergency relief coordinator to evaluate the country's humanitarian situation.

On the same day, the conflict-torn country suffered fresh sanctions from Canada and the United States, which met harsh criticism in Syria.

Syrian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Jihad Makdissi said Monday that his country welcomed the upcoming visit by Annan, who was appointed by the UN and the AL as the special envoy to handle the year-long crisis in Syria.

Annan will begin his mission by first meeting the secretary-general of the Arab League in Cairo. His visit to Damascus will fall on Saturday, after visiting other countries in the region.

"The purpose of his first visit is to seek an urgent end to all violence and human rights violations and to initiate the effort to promote a peaceful solution to the Syrian crisis," UN spokesman Del Buey said.

Valerie Amos, UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, will arrive in Damascus on Wednesday, according to the spokesman.

"As requested by the secretary-general, her aim is to urge all parties to allow unhindered access for humanitarian relief workers so they can evacuate the wounded and deliver essential supplies," he said.

Damascus's decision came after intensifying criticism over its previous actions to block the UN humanitarian chief from entering the conflict zones of Syria.

FRESH SANCTIONS FROM WEST

Meanwhile, the United States and Canada have launched fresh sanctions against the Arab country in its latest expanding efforts to press the Syrian government to stop what it called a crackdown on demonstrators.

On Monday Canada announced the close of its embassy and consulate in Syria and imposed further sanctions on Damascus.

"The deteriorating security situation in Syria has led us to suspend our services at both our embassy and consulate in Syria, effective immediately," Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird said in a statement. "Canadian diplomats have now safely left the country."

The closure of the embassy follows similar moves by other countries, including the United States, Britain and, most recently, France.

Meanwhile, Baird announced that Canada has taken new sanctions to include a complete ban on the provision or acquisition of financial or other related services, as well as sanctions on the Syrian central bank and seven high-ranking Syrian officials implicated in the violence.

"This is the sixth round of sanctions imposed upon the Assad regime. Our message remains clear: (Bashar al-) Assad must go," he said.

Earlier the same day, the United States slapped economic sanctions on Syria's General Organization of Radio and TV, saying they aided the Damascus in its campaign to put down a popular uprising.

The announcement amplifies general sanctions Washington has already placed on the entire Syrian government and its agencies, which banned U.S. citizens from doing business with the Syrian government, including the general organizations, and froze all of their assets under the U.S. jurisdiction.

Syria's official SANA news agency launched scathing criticisms over the U.S. sanctions, saying the move came "in the context of the U.S. policy of confiscating the freedom of opinion and media."

"The democracy, which these countries boast, are just slogans that are being used to serve these powers' interests and political agendas," it added.

Ranking U.S. Senator John McCain gave more radical propositions Monday,calling for U.S.-led air strikes on Syrian forces to protect key population centers in the Arab nation.

"The only realistic way to do so is with foreign air power," he argued. "To be clear: This will require the United States to suppress enemy air defenses in at least part of the country."

There was no immediate comment from the Obama administration on the comments by McCain,

The Obama administration has favored a diplomatic resolution to the Syria crisis for now, calling on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down to make way for a peaceful transition in his country.

FLEEING THE COUNTRY

In the midst of the domestic turmoil, refugees have kept fleeing out of Syria to neighboring countries.

On Monday alone, a total of 55 Syrian refugees entered southern Turkish Hatay province.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in January that Turkey was sheltering up to 10,000 Syrian refugees who fled the crisis back home.

While at home, Syria's Red Crescent workers along with representatives from the international Red Cross have been distributing relief aid to people at restive neighborhoods in central Homs province.

Some displaced families have started to return to their homes, but the humanitarian organization has not entered the focal point neighborhood of Baba Amr yet, which has been suffering the most fierce armed confrontation.

The Syrian government has accused some Arab and Western countries of providing weapons and financial support to the armed groups in Syria.