The EU parliament chief says Syria-Israel peace talks and an upcoming meeting between the Syrian and Lebanese presidents are positive moves that will also boost Europe's ties with the region. Hans-Gert Pottering said in an interview late Sunday that he wants to “encourage” Syria-Israel peace talks until there can finally be bilateral negotiations between the two adversaries. Syria and Israel have held several rounds of indirect peace talks recently through Turkish mediators. But they have no formal diplomatic ties. Lebanon's president is scheduled to travel to Syria on Wednesday. It'll be the first such visit by a Lebanese head of state since Syria withdrew its troops from Lebanon in 2005.
