Israel must be prepared to return all Syrian lands occupied in the 1967 Middle East war as part of any peace deal between the two sides, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said in comments published on Tuesday.
Briefing editors of United Arab Emirates newspapers during a visit to the Gulf Arab state, Assad also stated American sponsorship would be essential in the next stage of indirect talks launched last month under Turkish sponsorship. "At this stage we are not talking (with Israel) about anything else. What is on the agenda is the return of all land," al-Khaleej newspaper quoted Assad as saying during a visit on Monday.
"In direct negotiations we will tackle the details which include the files of water and relations and other matters.
"As for water there are international rules that govern these matters and are usually referred to, but if the question of water is intended for (Syria to) give up the (condition on) 1967 borders that stretch to Tiberias then there will never be a compromise on the 1967 borders."
Syria says it had Israeli assurances through Turkey that the Jewish state would be willing to give back the Golan Heights in return for peace. "The negotiations are in their primary stage. In later stages they would require international sponsorship especially from the United States, a superpower that has special ties with Israel," al-Bayan newspaper quoted Assad as saying.
