Syria can be a constructive force in the Middle East, a senior US envoy said in Damascus on Saturday. Jeffrey Feltman, acting assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern Affairs, said he and fellow envoy Daniel Shapiro held the “view that Syria can play an important and constructive role in the region,” in a conference call with reporters in Washington after four hours of talks with Foreign Minister Walid Muallem and other officials. Dan Shapiro of the White House's National Security Council attended the meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem. The two are the first senior US officials to visit Syria since Jan. 2005. “We found a lot of common ground. There were no subjects that were taboo ... It is our view that Syria can play an important and constructive role in the region,” Feltman said after the meeting. Asked whether Washington would become involved in suspended peace talks between Syria and Israel, Feltman told reporters that “comprehensive peace” including a deal between the two sides was an objective of the new administration of US President Barack Obama. “We do want to see forward momentum on the Syrian-Israeli track at the time when the parties are ready for this,” he said. “We want to achieve results. I am sure that Syria will want to achieve results but let's not expect that things are going to change dramatically from today until tomorrow,” he said. Feltman and Shapiro did not meet President Bashar al-Assad. Meanwhile, Feltman called for patience when asked about indirect Turkish-brokered peace talks between Syria and Israel last year that were suspended during Israel's recent war on Hamas in Gaza. “The United States wants a comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace,” he said. “There will be a Syrian-Israel track at some point,” he said, adding that “at this point, though, we need to be a bit patient” as Israel works on forming a new government after elections last month. Clinton said that the importance of the Syrian-Israeli peace track “cannot be overstated”. Feltman said he and Shapiro would return to Beirut on Sunday for more talks before heading back to the United States via Europe.
