By Prensa Latina,
Damascus : Syria rejects secret talks with Israel, which a third party is attempting in order to re-establish peace negotiations between Tel Aviv and Damascus, SANA news agency reported on Monday.
The source based its report on remarks by President Bashar al Assad during a BAAS Party meeting, confirming that another state is trying to break the 18-year deadlock in peace talks.
The central issue in Syrian-Israeli negotiations has been devolution of the Golan Heights, occupied during the Six-Day War in June 1967.
“However, we reject any secret talks or contact with Israel, and anything that may happen in this regard will be made public,” vowed Bashar al Assad.
Meanwhile Al Thawra daily considered US former President Jimmy Carter’s visit to Damascus as positive.
Carter met with Islamic Resistance (Hamas) leaders in an effort to renew peace process between Israel and the Palestinians although the attempt was strongly criticized by the Israeli Government and the White House.