A Syrian delegation led by Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani held a new round of talks with Israel on Monday, state media reported, marking the first such negotiations in several months.
Quoting a government source, SANA said the talks were coordinated and mediated by Washington, adding that the discussions were focused on reaching "a balanced security agreement" between the two countries.
Two diplomatic sources told AFP that the U.S.-mediated talks were being held in Paris.
SANA said the negotiations were focused on reactivating a 1974 disengagement agreement and guaranteeing "the withdrawal of Israeli forces" to their positions before the overthrow of the Bashar Assad regime in December 2024.
After Assad's ousting, Israel sent troops into the U.N.-patrolled buffer zone, which has separated Israeli and Syrian forces on the Golan Heights for decades.
Israel has also carried out repeated incursions deeper into Syrian territory since then, as well as bombings, and has said it wants a demilitarized zone in the country's south.
The United States has been pushing Syria and Israel to reach an agreement that would halt hostilities between the two countries, technically at war since 1948.
"The resumption of these negotiations is confirmation of Syria's firm commitment to restoring its non-negotiable national rights," the government source told SANA, adding that intelligence chief Hussein al-Salama was also part of the delegation.
Syria and Israel opened direct negotiations after Assad was toppled by an anti-regime coalition.
Officials have met on several occasions, most recently in September, but Israel's insistence on a demilitarised zone in southern Syria has been a major stumbling block.
Last month, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa said the demand would endanger his country and urged Israel to respect the 1974 deal.
Later Tuesday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot reaffirmed Paris' commitment to supporting Syria's recovery, reconstruction and economic revival, and strengthening cooperation across multiple fields.
His comments came during a meeting in Paris between Barrot and his Syrian counterpart, Shaibani.
According to a statement by the Syrian Foreign Ministry, the two ministers discussed issues of mutual interest and ways to enhance strategic partnerships between the two countries.
France also expressed its companies' readiness to resume operations in Syria, the statement said.
Barrot underscored "France's commitment to backing Syria's path toward recovery, reconstruction and economic revitalization, as well as expanding bilateral cooperation," the statement added.
