Syria offers peace proposals to Israel

Mr Assad said that a "document of principles" was intended to serve as the basis for direct talks and that he was waiting for a similar document laying out Israel's starting position. So far, negotiations have been held indirectly through Turkish mediation.

Mr Assad spoke on Thursday at the opening of a summit with the leaders of France, Turkey and Qatar to discuss peace and stability in the Middle East. Iran was another major focus of the summit.

France indicated its hope before the meeting that warmer relations with Syria could help the West in its efforts to persuade Iran to curb its nuclear program.

Mr Assad did not disclose details of the Syrian proposals and little information has emerged from four rounds of indirect talks with Israel over the past year.

"We are now discussing a document of principles which talks about general principles of the peace process which will be the basis for direct negotiations," he said.

He said that Syria had outlined six points on the issue of the "withdrawal line" - a reference to the extent of an Israeli withdrawal from the Golan Heights and a major sticking point over which direct negotiations collapsed in 2000.

Israel invaded the Golan Heights region of Syria during the 1967 Middle East war and has occupied it ever since.

Mr Assad said that the Syrian proposals had been given to the Turkish negotiators "as a deposit." When Israel gives its own proposals to the Turkish side, then the two sides could move to direct negotiations "after a new American administration convinced of the peace process is in place," he said.

Mr Assad has previously said that US sponsorship of future negotiations is necessary, but only after November's US elections bring a new administration into office.

The Syrian leader disclosed that a fifth "decisive" round of indirect talks with Israel in Turkey had been postponed, indicating that he was waiting for the Israeli political dust to settle over the resignation of the Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert.

"We are waiting now for the Israeli elections to decide the future of this stage," Mr Assad said.