Israel-Syria

     Tangible progress has been made in talks with the Palestinians regarding the fate of the refugees, and the issues of borders and security arrangements, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said in an interview published on Tuesday.According to Olmert, who spoke with the London-based Arabic daily Asharq Al-Awsat, the issue of Jerusalem would only be discussed in the final stage of talks because it is "volatile," but expressed hope that the two sides cold overcome the obstacles and reach agreement over the fate of the capital. The prime minister brushed aside recent reports of a possible meeting with Syrian President Bashar Assad at the margins of the upcoming Mediterranean nations conference in Paris, saying that such a meeting "is not the reason for my participation in the conference." He also claimed that it was Syria rather than Israel that insisted that the existence of the indirect talks between Jerusalem and Damascus be made public. "In the past they have not done so, and it is an important and positive thing," he said in reference to the Syrian's insistence on disclosure, reiterating that a peace agreement with the Syrians must take the place of Damascus's relationship with the Iranians. "Let us be honest and clear: Does it make sense that we will sign a peace treaty with Syria and open an embassy in Damascus, and that they will open an embassy in Tel Aviv… and Syria-Iran ties will remain as is?" Regarding the Gaza truce, Olmert warned that continued weapons smuggling from the Sinai into the Gaza Strip "will be a breach of the truce agreement and we will be forced to return to military action." (11,12)