Israel's prime minister says government officials were not involved in reported unofficial negotiations with Syria that produced what some hope could form the basis of a peace deal.

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani is scheduled to travel to Syria on January 14 for talks with his Syrian counterpart, Bashar al-Assad.

The U.S. Treasury Department has imposed financial restrictions on three Syrian institutions suspected of proliferating weapons of mass destruction.

Israel says it would like to revive negotiations with neighboring Syria. But as Robert Berger reports from VOA's Jerusalem bureau, Israel is setting down some tough pre-conditions.

The head of the Arab League says he has won Syria's support for his efforts to mediate a solution to Lebanon's political crisis.

Foreign Minister Walid Mualem of Syria has urged Israel to resume peace talks with Damascus and this time, without any preconditions.

President Bush has urged Syria to "immediately free all political prisoners" and stop what he called "its efforts to undermine Lebanese sovereignty."

December 11 Armenian Parliament Speaker Tigran Torosyan received Chargé d'Affaires ad interim of the Arab Republic of Syria Mukhlis Faraun on the occasion of completion of his ambassador's mission.

Syria and Iraq re-opened embassies in each other's capitals Monday for the first time in more than two decades.

Arab diplomats are due to meet with Lebanese leaders in Beirut Monday to discuss an Arab League proposal to resolve the political crisis in the country.

In continuation of the inter-faith and inter-religious dialogues initiated by the Armenian Church, His Excellency Sheikh Ahmad Badr Ad-Din Hassoun, the Mufti of Aleppo and spiritual leader of the Muslims of the Syrian Arab Republic, traveled to Armenia last month upon the invitation of the Catholicos of All Armenians.