Subscribe to Print Edition | Wed., July 02, 2008 Sivan 29, 5768 | | Israel Time: 01:23 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Car Rental Books Peres Conference Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Israel, Syria set for third round of talks today By Barak Ravid Tags: Syria, Israel Israel and Syria will hold their third round of indirect negotiations in Istanbul today; the delegations will sit in separate hotels and Turkish mediators will shuttle back and forth carrying each side's messages. A senior government official said yesterday that senior Syrian officials claim that "they will not agree to hold direct talks until they receive a firm guarantee on deep American involvement in the talks." Last week Israeli officials met with Arab and European diplomats who had been updated on the details of the negotiations by the Syrian government. According to information passed on in last week's discussions, Syria feels that all the previous rounds of talks dealt mostly with technical issues and the framework of the negotiations - not the heart of the issues. Advertisement The foreign diplomats emphasized that "there is a feeling that the Syrians are delaying until the new U.S. administration takes office, before they will be ready for real progress." Israel's representatives in today's talks are Yoram Turbowicz and Shalom Turgeman - Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's chief of staff and chief diplomatic aide respectively. On July 13 the Mediterranean Union Summit will open in Paris, and Olmert and Syrian President Bashar Assad will participate alongside some 50 other heads of state. A fourth round of talks will be held in Istanbul before the summit. Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni will also attend the summit, as may other ministers. Yesterday, the first preparatory meeting for the Paris summit was held in the prime minister's office. France has tried in recent weeks to arrange a photo of Assad and Olmert together during the meetings, but it became clear immediately that the Syrians were not interested. A handshake is also not expected, nor a meeting between the two leaders, a senior European diplomat said. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Death penalty Iran hands down death sentence to man who spied for Israel. Robot hospital The place where IDF treats droids wounded in the line of fire.

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