By Tom Perry and Feras Dalatey
DAMASCUS, Aug 23 (Reuters) – Syria expects negotiations to resume soon with Israel over a security deal it hopes will lead to Israel’s withdrawal from Syrian land, a top Syrian minister said, urging Israel to seize a “historic opportunity” as the door for diplomacy is open.
In a Reuters interview in Damascus on Saturday, days after Israel bombed a Syrian airbase, Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani also stressed that Damascus’ priority is to halt Israeli attacks, saying confidence-building steps were needed in this direction.