July 17, 2007 (LPAC)--Addressing the People's Assembly after being sworn in for his second term as President, Syria's Bashar al-Assad reiterated Syria's readiness to hold peace talks with Israel, provided those talks are above-board and open. A number of foreign delegations have come to Syria with messages from Israel and Israelis on peace. However, "we do not want secret talks. We ask Israel's leaders to state in a clear and official manner their desire for peace," and their guarantee that they they will return all of Syria's land, Assad said.

President Assad also referred to a "third country" which has been working in recent weeks to bring the two sides together, and offered that Syria could send an emissary to this country to meet Israelis.