A Syrian delegation led by Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and General Intelligence Directorate Chief Hussein al-Salameh met with Israeli officials in Paris for a new round of negotiations, according to Syrian state news agency SANA.
The discussions, coordinated and mediated by the United States, focus on regional security and territorial issues, SANA reported Monday.
A Syrian government source said the talks aimed to restore the 1974 Disengagement Agreement and called for the withdrawal of Israeli forces to positions held before December 8, 2014. The source said the negotiations are part of efforts to reach a security agreement that safeguards Syrian sovereignty and prevents external interference.
SANA also stated that Syria views the talks as a reaffirmation of its position on regaining what it describes as non-negotiable national rights.
According to the agency, Israel has increased its military presence in Syrian territory beyond the Golan Heights since the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad and has conducted airstrikes and ground operations in southern Syria.
