Washington committed to seeking Syria-Israel deal

By Khaled Yacoub Oweis

DAMASCUS (Reuters) - The United States told the Syrian government on Thursday it was committed to seeking a peace deal between Syria and Israel, a main objective for Damascus in its rapprochement with Washington.

"We conveyed ... President Obama's sincere commitment to pursue Arab-Israeli peace on all tracks, including on the Syrian-Israeli track," senior State Department official Jeffrey Feltman said after meeting Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem in the Syrian capital.

The administration of U.S. President Barack Obama started talks with Syria soon after he was inaugurated in January, ending a boycott of several years under his predecessor George W. Bush. Feltman said the two countries still had differences to settle.

Damascus wants the United States to become involved if talks resume, believing this would guarantee any deal would stick.

Indirect talks mediated by Turkey were suspended after Israel's three-week offensive in the Gaza Strip, which ended in mid-January.

"We look forward to continuing the dialogue here and in Washington as we seek to use this bilateral relationship to address differences and promote mutual interests," he added.

Feltman is accompanied by White House official Daniel Shapiro. The two officials were in Damascus in March.

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