Two legislators of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's Kadima party, Majali Wahabi and Amira Dotan, confirmed Tuesday that they had spoken this week with lawmakers from Syria, a nation formally in a state of war with Israel.

The parliamentarians met on Monday at an international conference for legislators held in Amman, Wahabi told Army Radio.

Tunisian and Algerian deputies also participated in the conference, and held contacts with the Israelis.

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One of the Syrians, identified by Army Radio as the chair of the Syrian parliament's foreign affairs committee, was quoted as having told the Israelis that the sides must accelerate their diplomatic contacts.

Another Syrian MP was quoted as saying that the sides should speak "despite the opposition of the Americans."