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.