(11 Jan 2004)

1. Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom with visiting Macedonian Foreign Minister Ilinka Mitreva at bilateral signing ceremony
2. Journalists
3. SOUNDBITE: (English) Silvan Shalom, Israeli Foreign Minister:
"I would like you to know that about seven or eight months ago, we had secret contacts with the Syrians. And then we had some kind of relations with very close persons to President (Bashar) Assad. Unfortunately, after two meetings the Israeli partners had with their Syrian colleagues it leaked out and while (when) it was exposed, of course the Syrians didn't continue to negotiate through this track."
4. Cameramen
5. SOUNDBITE: (English) Silvan Shalom, Israeli Foreign Minister:
"Israel would like to have a peace treaty with Syria and with Lebanon, and we would like to do everything in order to achieve this goal. But at the same time that we are asking the Palestinians to put an end to terrorism and violence, we should ask the same from the Syrians. In my view, we should resume the negotiations with the Syrians, but we would like to see the Syrians are not insisting that this coming negotiations will start from the same point it ended a few years ago."
6. Journalists
7. Shalom shaking hands with Mitreva

STORYLINE:

Israel held secret contacts with Syria several months ago, but the talks broke down after word of the meetings was leaked, Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said on Sunday, adding that backchannel talks with other unidentified Arab countries are continuing.

Shalom said he had requested an investigation into the leaks, which he said have severely damaged Israel's ability to negotiate with its Arab neighbours.

Shalom's comments follow recent calls by Syria for a resumption of official peace talks and unconfirmed reports that Israel had held secret meetings with Libya.

Syria did not immediately comment on word of the secret contacts.

Israel has played down the Syrian gestures, saying the Damascus government must first crack down on anti-Israel militant groups operating from Syria.

The Israeli foreign minister said the secret contacts took place seven or eight months ago with people "very close" to Syrian President Bashar Assad.

"Unfortunately, after two meetings that the Israeli partners had with their Syrian colleagues, it leaked out. And while it was exposed, of course the Syrians didn't continue to negotiate through this track," he said.

Shalom said he was concerned about leaks regarding "many contacts" recently with the Arab world.

He said he has asked Israel's attorney general to look into the leaks.

Shalom did not identify the other countries that Israel is talking to. But last week, Israeli media reported that Israel had been in secret contact with Libya.

Libya denied the reports, and Israeli officials did not comment.

Syria and Israel were close to a peace agreement in 2000, with Israel offering to return nearly all of the Golan Heights, a strategic plateau captured in the 1967 Mideast war. But the two sides were unable to finalize the deal.

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