Syrian President: direct talks with Israel possible (Roundup)

Dec 22, 2008, 17:38 GMT

Damascus - Direct talks between Israel and Syria are a possibility, says Syrian President Bashar al-Assad Monday, provided that ongoing indirect talks yield fruit.

'The peace process is similar to a process of a building, it has to be based first on solid foundations,' said al-Assad, referring to the indirect peace talks with Israel. 'If the indirect talks are successful they will lead to direct talks as a second stage. Afterwards peace will come naturally,' al-Assad added.

Al-Assad was speaking in a press conference with his Croatian counterpart President Stjepan Mesic.

Over the last couple of months, Turkey has been acting as a mediator for indirect talks between the two countries. After four rounds of indirect talks between, a fifth round was halted in September due to corruption allegations against Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

Al-Assad's statement coincided with Olmert's visit to Ankara. During the visit Olmert spokesman Mark Regev confirmed that indirect negotiations between Syria and Israel are on the agenda during talks between Olmert and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan and President Abdullah Gul.

Olmert, who will leave office on February, wants to keep the talks alive for as long as he is in office, defying harsh criticism at home by both the opposition and members of his own coalition, who say he lacks the authority and the legitimacy to hold any negotiations at this point.

Syria and Israel countries have been at war since 1948. Israel holds the occupied Golan Heights since the Arab-Israeli war in 1967.