The Egyptian foreign minister, Amr Mussa, has briefed his Syrian counterpart, Faruq al-Shara, and President Hafez al-Assad on the deadlock in the Israeli-Palestinian talks.

He told reporters in Damascus there was widespread concern about the obstacles on all fronts of the peace process -- with Syria and Lebanon as well as the Palestinians.

What was needed, he said, were changes in Israel's policies.

Mr Mussa met his Israeli counterpart, David Levy, yesterday at talks in Cairo about the future of Palestinians displaced during the 1967 war.

The meeting -- the first in four years -- was also attended by Jordan and the Palestinian Authority.

It agreed to re-activate a committee of experts, which will draw up proposals for the ministers to consider in three months' time. One of the most contentious issues is how many displaced people there are: all sides are to draw up lists of those they believe qualify and open offices to take requests from Palestinians wishing to return home.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service