Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem stressed on Saturday the importance of dialogue between Syria and the U.S. on the basis of mutual respect of both sides' points of view, the official SANA news agency reported.

 

Muallem made the remarks while meeting with visiting U.S. Republican Senator Arlen Specter and Democratic Representative Patrick Kennedy, during which they discussed the Syrian-U.S. relations and the latest developments in the Middle East.

 

Muallem also emphasized the necessity to reach common grounds to help resolve existing crises in the region, while expressing Syria's keenness on realizing a just and comprehensive peace in the region.

 

For his part, Specter stressed the importance of Syria's role in the region, pointing out that he believed there was an opportunity for an American role in relaunching the peace talks between Syria and Israel.

 

Relations between Damascus and Washington, strained since the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, hit a new low following the assassination of former Lebanese premier Rafik Hariri in February 2005, after which the U.S. withdrew its ambassador to Syria.

 

(Xinhua News Agency December 30, 2007)