Israel Radio broadcast Friday that Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem denied newspaper reports he met with his Israel counterpart, Tzipi Livni. According to Israel Radio, Moallem said the meeting hadn't happened and would not happen as long as Israel Defense Forces were occupying disputed territory in the Golan Heights.
Israel's Foreign Ministry also denied Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni had met with her Syrian counterpart at the United Nations meeting in New York on Thursday, contrary to the report published in the Nazareth-based newspaper Al-Sinara.
The Al-Sinara report, quoting U.S.-based Arab diplomats, said Livni was invited to meet with Moallem by the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, an invitation which surprised both ministers, the report said.
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Prime Minister Ehud Olmert authorized Livni to meet with Moallem, Al-Sinara reported. Also present were ambassadors of Syria and Israel to the United Nations.
Al-Sinara reported that the meeting focused on the tensions between the two countries and on restoring calm.
Meanwhile, Livni is scheduled to meet officials including Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at the United Nations on Friday.
Livni is scheduled to meet Abbas on Friday to discuss preparations for the regional summit, which is scheduled for November in Washington.
Notwithstanding the clashes in the Gaza Strip between IDF forces and militants over the past two days, in which 12 Palestinians were killed, there were no reports that the meeting was canceled.
Her meeting with Rice will be part of a limited forum Rice is hosting for women world leaders attending the General Assembly.
The foreign minister met her Tunisian counterpart, Abdelwaheb Abdallah, on Wednesday. Livni invited the Tunisian minister to a meeting, even though the two countries do not have formal diplomatic relations.
The two discussed the talks between Israel and the Palestinians. Livni emphasized it is important that moderate Arab states support the process.
The meeting was part of Livni's effort to rally moderate Arab states to support the talks and encourage them to participate actively in direct negotiations with Israel and the Washington summit
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