Russia's Lavrov in Mideast preparing for peace talks

By Khaled Yacoub Oweis

DAMASCUS (Reuters) - Russia is preparing to host a Middle East peace conference this year that will try to relaunch talks between Israel and Syria about the occupied Golan Heights, Russian officials said in Syria on Thursday.

But Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was cool to the idea of participating in such a conference, Israeli officials said.

"We have not issued invitations but we're working out how to incorporate different suggestions," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said after meeting President Bashar al-Assad.

Lavrov told reporters the conference would be a follow-up to a U.S.-hosted meeting in Annapolis in November that restarted peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian administration, led by President Mahmoud Abbas.

Olmert told Lavrov, who arrived in Jerusalem later on Thursday, he would "examine" whether such a conference would further negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, the Israeli officials said.

Olmert said Israel would be interested in talks with Syria only if Damascus cut ties with the Hezbollah guerrilla group in Lebanon, Hamas Islamists in control of the Gaza Strip and Iran.

Lavrov had announced plans to host the next Middle East peace conference after the Annapolis talks. He said on Thursday everyone in Annapolis had agreed to the Moscow conference.

Russia's foreign minister also met members of the exiled leadership of the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Damascus before flying to Israel.