The United States wants to see "forward momentum" on peace talks between Syria and Israel and believes Syria could help Middle East stability, a US official said after high-level talks in Damadscus today.
In a change of tone after years of animosity with Syria, Jeffrey Feltman, acting assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern Affairs said he did not present Syrian officials with "benchmarks" to meet and exchanged concerns.
Dan Shapiro of the White House's National Security Council attended the meeting with Syrian foreign minister Walid al-Moualem. The two are the first senior US officials to visit Syria since January 2005.
"We found a lot of common ground. There were no subjects that were taboo ... It is our view that Syria can play an important and constructive role in the region," Mr Feltman said after the meeting.
Asked whether Washington would become involved in suspended peace talks between Syria and Israel, Mr Feltman told reporters that "comprehensive peace" including a deal between the two sides was an objective of the new administration of US president Barack Obama.
"We do want to see forward momentum on the Syrian-Israeli track at the time when the parties are ready for this," he said.
"We want to achieve results. I am sure that Syria will want to achieve results but let's not expect that things are going to change dramatically from today until tomorrow," he said.
Mr Feltman and Mr Shapiro did not meet president Bashar al-Assad.
Diplomats had expected the US delegation to raise Syria's ties with Iran, as well as Syria's role in Lebanon, its influence over the Palestinian group Hamas and prospects for resuming peace talks between Syria and Israel.
Mr Feltman, who will travel next to Beirut, stressed UN Security Council Resolution 1701 on ending the summer 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon as an area where the two sides may work to overcome their differences.
Resolution 1701 gave the 13,000-strong UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, tougher rules of engagement, charging it with keeping armed men and illicit weapons out of the area south of the Litani River in south Lebanon.
Ties between Syria and the United States deteriorated during the George Bush administration, after the assassination of Rafik al-Hariri, the former prime minister of Lebanon, in February 2005.
Washington withdrew its ambassador to Syria and stepped up sanctions against Damascus government, which has been on a US list of terrorism sponsors since the 1970s.
Mr Obama, however, has made moves to talk to Syria, but Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in Ankara today no decision yet has been made on returning an ambassador.
Ms Clinton said that the importance of the Syrian-Israeli peace track "can not be overstated".
Syria formally suspended the indirect Turkish-mediated talks during the invasion, but has not ruled out their resumption, even if a right wing government is formed in Israel.
Reuters