By Xinhua
Damascus : Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem on Monday called upon the Palestinian parties to return to dialogue in order to end the current crisis and establish an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.
Muallem made the remarks while meeting with visiting Norwegian Foreign Minister's special envoy for the Middle East affairs Svein Sevje, according to the official SANA news agency.
The two sides discussed the recent developments in the Middle East, particularly the efforts to revive the peace process and reach a comprehensive settlement for the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Muallem expressed Syria's keenness for establishing a just and comprehensive peace in the region and preserving the unity of the Palestinian people.
For his part, Sevje affirmed his country's interest in reviving the peace process according to international laws, stating that Norway supports the Arab peace initiative.
He also affirmed Syria's important role in achieving security and peace in the region.
Arab peace initiative, which was first approved in 2002 and reactivated during an Arab summit in Riyadh late March, offers to extend recognition to Israel by all Arab countries provided that it withdraws from all Arab territories it occupied in the 1967 six-day war.