low graphics version | feedback | help
|
 White House spokesman Joe Lockhart"Impossible to predict when talks might resume"  real 28k The BBC's Richard Lister reports from Geneva"President Clinton will now have an even greater sense of urgency" real 28k |
The two presidents held two sessions of talks, lasting more than three hours in Geneva, but were unable to resolve differences standing in the way of a resumption of negotiations, White House spokesman Joe Lockhart said.
"The significant differences remaining were not narrowed," said Mr Lockhart.
"It is impossible to predict when those talks might resume," he added.
Syria said that Israel was still blocking a resumption of Middle East peace talks.
'Obstacles'
 Clinton: Not disappointed
|
US officials said that President Clinton was not disappointed with the outcome of the talks, and that he was glad to have had the opportunity to meet President Assad face-to-face.
Officials say the US leader wants to hold talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who will be in Washington on Tuesday.
Fighting
The US Middle East envoy, Dennis Ross, will head back to the region on Monday to brief the Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Barak.
On Sunday fighting flared between Israeli troops and Syrian-backed Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon.
Israeli helicopter gunships fired missiles as suspected Hezbollah positions outside the Israeli-occupied buffer zone in Lebanon after the guerrillas shelled a post held by Israel's proxy South Lebanon Army.
Mr Barak has promised to unilaterally withdraw Israeli troops by July from the south Lebanon buffer zone even without progress in talks with Syria, which could lead to serious destabilisation in the region.
Golan hopes
Syria is looking for a clear Israeli commitment to withdraw from the Golan Heights, which Israel captured in 1967.
Israel Defence Forces radio reported on Sunday that a breakthrough had been achieved in secret negotiations on Syrian willingness to leave Israeli enterprises on the Golan Heights and on water resources in the area after Israeli withdrawal.
But in a message published in the official press in Damascus, President Assad reiterated Syrian demands that Israel withdraw from the entirety of the Golan.
 Assad wants a complete Israeli withdrawal from the Golan
|
The Israelis are keen to prevent Syria controlling the north-eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, which provides Israel with around 40% of its drinking water needs.
Sources close to the White House said Syria had been offered a deal under which the border would run along the lake shore but Damascus would renounce the right to the water and pledge to prevent pollution.
Both Syrian and Israeli civilians would have access to the shore, but the first Syrian border post would be several hundred metres away.
|
Search BBC News Online |
|
|
 Advanced search options | |
| |
 | |
 | |
| |
|
| BBC RADIO NEWS |
| |
| |
 | BBC ONE TV NEWS |
| |
| |
| WORLD NEWS SUMMARY |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| PROGRAMMES GUIDE |
Country profiles
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites
E-mail this story to a friend
~RS~a~RS~international~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~19~RS~)