Syria ready for peace talks with Israel

[oberliner]

DAMASCUS, Syria - Syria's foreign minister said Monday his country was ready to resume peace talks with Israel and he urged the Jewish state's government to heed calls from within the country for renewed negotiations.

"We appreciate the Israeli voices who call for the resumption of the peace process with Syria," said Walid al-Moallem, urging the Israeli government to respond and resume talks.

If Israel agrees, "it will find Syria ready to resume peace negotiations," the foreign minister said during a news conference in Damascus with his Norwegian counterpart, Jonas Gahr Store.

Store said he had "frank and direct discussions" with Syrian President Bashar Assad during his one-day stop in Syria. He urged Syria and Israel to reach an overall regional agreement in accordance with U.N. resolutions.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061107/ap_on_re_mi_ea/syria_israel_2