Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Moratinos recently requested a meeting with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in order to convey a "positive message" from Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Moratinos returned several days ago from a visit to the Syrian capital, where he met privately for 45 minutes with Assad, and discussed the possibility of renewing negotiations with Israel.

According to sources who accompanied Moratinos, and who passed on information to their Israeli counterparts, the meeting between the senior Spanish official and Assad was "excellent."

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Moratinos, who had served as special European Union representative to the Middle East, reportedly relayed to Israel that he had heard interesting ideas from the Syrian leader regarding talks with Israel.

While requesting a meeting with Olmert, Moratinos said that he had a "special message" to convey from Assad, but refused to specify what it was.

"He is interested in furthering the peace process," was all the foreign minister was willing to say.

Moratinos added that Assad had told him that "he is familiar with the problems that existed in the past and the various nuances involved, but he is interested in overcoming them."

The Spanish foreign minister is scheduled to visit Israel in early September, and even though there has still not been any confirmation of a meeting with Olmert, a source in the Prime Minister's Bureau said thereis no reason for such a meeting not to take place.

Nonetheless, the doubts that dominate assessments in Jerusalem regarding Assad's commitment to negotiations without American involvement, remain unchanged.

The subject was raised during yesterday's cabinet meeting in a survey offered by the head of research at Military Intelligence, Brigadier General Yossi Beiditch. He said that Syria has been speaking of a lack of interest in confrontation and "the wish to reach a peace agreement on its terms."

Beiditch added that Syria is concerned that Israel may attack it, but doesn't want to initiate a war, and said that the Syrian army has stepped up its activities on all levels, although it has not changed its deployment of forces on the Golan Heights.

Major General Tal Russo, IDF Chief of Operations, who also participated in the meeting, said that preparations in the Northern Command continue for any eventuality.