French President Nicolas Sarkozy is meeting the leaders of Syria, Turkey and Qatar in a bid to boost efforts towards Middle East peace.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy is meeting the leaders of Syria, Turkey and Qatar in a bid to boost efforts towards Middle East peace.
Mr Sarkozy is on a two-day trip to Damascus, aimed at cementing revived relations between France and Syria.
Mr Sarkozy is on a two-day trip to Damascus, also aimed at cementing revived ties between France and Syria.
France, which currently holds the EU presidency, hopes to help mediation efforts in Middle East.
France, which currently holds the EU presidency, hopes to help mediation efforts in Middle East.
Mr Sarkozy has offered to support direct talks between Syria and Israel when the time is right.
Syria's president said the "Summit for Stability" would lay the basis for possible direct talks with Israel.
Damascus says it is open to the proposal.
"The summit seeks to draft a declaration of principles that would form a basis for direct peace talks between Syria and Israel," Bashar al-Assad said.
Relations between Paris and Damascus plummeted after the murder of former Lebanese PM Rafik Hariri in 2005.
At the session was Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose country has mediated four rounds of indirect Israeli-Syrian talks since May.
Syria's critics accuse Damascus of being behind the assassination, a charge Syria has firmly denied.
The fourth corner of the table was taken by the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, and his prime minister, Hamad bin Jasim al-Thani, who helped broker an internal peace deal in Lebanon, also in May.
Mr Sarkozy and his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad held bilateral talks on Wednesday.
Direct Israel-Syria negotiations - centring on the fate of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights - last took place in 2000 under US auspices.
This is the first visit to the former French colony by a Western head of state in five years.
Mr Assad said Syria had been waiting for "a fifth crucial round of talks... to determine the evolution of these negotiations", but the process had been put on hold because of political changes in Israel.
Mr Sarkozy hosted Mr Assad in July and correspondents say he appears determined to bring Syria, a long-time foe of the US and Israel, back into the international fold.
Scandal-hit Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has announced his resignation and his Kadima party is holding elections on 17 September for a new leader, who could become prime minister.
French mediation has already brought about an easing of tensions between Syria and France's close ally Lebanon.
Rehabilitating Syria
'Tentative' talks
The BBC's Bethany Bell in Damascus says the summit brings together several key regional players, but progress is likely to be tentative at best.
The French and Syrian leaders were joined on Thursday by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani for the peace summit.
President Sarkozy is the first Western leader to visit the Syrian capital since Syria's critics blamed it for the murder of former Lebanese PM Rafik Hariri in February 2005.
Turkey has been mediating indirect talks between the Syrians and the Israelis. Qatar hosted the conference which brought about an internal peace deal in Lebanon in May.
The Hariri bombing - which Syria firmly denied involvement in - caused relations between Paris and Damascus to plummet.
But the BBC's Bethany Bell in Damascus says progress is likely to be tentative at best.
But Mr Sarkozy hosted Mr Assad in July and correspondents say he appears determined to bring Syria, a long-time foe of the US and Israel, back into the international fold.
Our correspondent says peace in the Middle East depends on other factors, including the arrival of a more stable leadership in Israel and a new US president.
Former colonial power France's mediation has already brought an easing of tensions between Syria and Lebanon.
Syria says direct peace talks with Israel can only take place after John McCain or Barack Obama is installed in the White House next year.
However, our correspondent says comprehensive peace in the region depends on many other factors, including the arrival of a more stable leadership in Israel and a new US president.
Israel is also facing a change in leadership. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, currently facing a series of investigations into corruption allegations, has promised to resign after his Kadima party chooses a new leader in a primary election on 17 September. />
Syria acknowledges the importance of the US in supporting Middle East peace initiatives, but says direct talks with Israel can only take place after John McCain or Barack Obama is installed in the White House next year.
Are you in Syria? Do you believe President Sarkozy's visit will help efforts towards peace in the Middle East? Send us your comments using the form below.
Are you in Syria? Do you believe President Sarkozy's visit will help efforts towards peace in the Middle East? Send us your comments using the form below.
