Israel is ready to resume negotiations with Syria in favor of a regional truce in the Middle East, but without preconditions, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman told Foreign Minister of Russia Sergey Lavrov at a joint press conference in Moscow.
"We are ready to begin negotiations with Syria tomorrow, however, without any conditions. Syria demands that Israel had agreed to start negotiations to return the Golan Heights and go to the 1967 borders" Vesti channel quoted Lieberman as saying.
The lack of pre-conditions is important for Israel in peace negotiations with Arab countries.
Indirect peace talks with Syria and Israel mediated by Turkey were halted in January 2009, when Israel began its massive military action in Gaza against the Palestinian members of Hamas.
However, the situation deteriorated after the statement by Foreign Minister of Israel on refusal to return the Syrian Golan Heights occupied in 1967.
Syrian President Bashshar Assad has said that Damascus does not agree to resume direct talks without Israel's consent return the Golan.
On the Palestinian-Israeli negotiations, Lieberman said that "the Palestinian problem is wide and its decision must be attended by all Arab countries, including the Persian Gulf countries, on the basis of previous agreements
Israel's settlement policy in the West Bank is not an issue in the peace talks, as well as the expansion of Jewish settlements connected with the natural growth.
"All that runs through natural increase, is out of the negotiations", Lieberman said.
More than 280,000 Israelis live in total more than 120 settlements in the West Bank, occupied in 1967 war. Another 200,000 live in East Jerusalem, which also applies to the occupied territories.