"Syria is not against direct negotiations. We have agreed to them since the [1991] Madrid Middle East Peace Conference... whenever the atmosphere was appropriate for direct negotiations," Bashar told Gulf News.

"Success of the negotiations depends on the Israeli side and is related to the capability of the Israeli government and its stability to achieve this success," he said, highlighting the legal problems faced by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, which could see him stepping down.

"We have explained our vision for peace and are waiting for the Israeli response. However, our earlier experience in negotiations with Israel was not encouraging, and what Syria is doing now is making sure that Israel is ready for peace," Bashar said at a meeting with senior journalists on the second day of his visit to the UAE. He will leave today for Kuwait.

Bashar said his recent visits are also aimed at "informing the Arab brothers on the latest developments regarding the indirect Syrian-Israeli negotiations."

Negotiators from both countries are in Turkey, which is mediating between them. "There are no direct talks at this stage," the Syrian president said.

"We believe indirect negotiations are sufficient at this stage as we are still negotiating to find a common ground. [But] we are willing to move to direct negotiations once this is reached," he said.

He said Syria will not offer concessions over the 1967 territories. He said Damascus was negotiating on the basis of the Arab peace initiative, which calls for full Israeli withdrawal from Arab lands occupied in the 1967 war in return for full normalization. The Arab initiative is based on the Madrid conference's land for peace principles, he said.

Bashar, meanwhile, strongly denied American and Israeli reports that suggested a site bombed by Israeli planes last year was a secret nuclear facility developed by North Korea.

"If anyone had a secret dossier on nuclear facilities in Syria with a Korean role, as they claim, then why did they wait for seven months before destroying a normal military facility by the Israeli raid? Why did they not resort to the UN nuclear energy organization to carry out an inspection?" he asked.

"Acquiring nuclear energy for peaceful purposes is an international trend that all countries are rightfully pursuing. In Syria, we want this to be done within an Arab context, which was discussed and agreed during the Arab Summit in Riyadh."

The Syrian President Bashar Al Assad said he was "personally afraid" that the recent Lebanese crisis would lead to another civil war and stressed that Damascus is keen to support the Doha agreement, which ended the crisis.

The Doha agreement, he said, would stand only if Lebanese rivals exerted real efforts to maintain reconciliation.

"The latest crisis in Lebanon caused us great concern. I was personally afraid of the prospect of a new civil war, since what happens in Lebanon affects us in Syria and adds a new burden [on Syria]," Bashar told a group of senior Emirati journalists in Abu Dhabi on Monday.

A new civil war in Lebanon would have been much worse of a disaster than the previous one, which ended with Syrian and Saudi efforts in 1990.

The Syrian leader was speaking on the second day of his current visit to the UAE, part of a regional tour aimed at enhancing inter-Arab ties.

The tour, he added, is also meant "to give a strong support" to the Doha agreement between the Lebanese rivals, in his capacity as current chairman of the Arab Summit.

The tour's agenda includes other issues, such as the situation in Iraq and Palestine, which Bashar described as "worrying."

"It is crucial to have a national unity government in Lebanon in line with the Doha Agreement after the President [Michel Sulaiman] was elected," he said, adding that Syria does not mind having normal relations with Lebanon, including the opening a Syrian embassy in Beirut.

He pointed out that "Syria first suggested this in 2005" during the meetings of the Syrian-Lebanese joint committees.

"It is not true that this is the demand of Syria's opponents in Lebanon, but opening an embassy needs good relations between the two countries, and we were forced to put off this step as relations with Lebanon deteriorated in the past few years," he said.

Syria did not also oppose the demarcation of the borders with Lebanon, he said. "The only obstacle is the [occupied Lebanese territory of] Sheba'a Farms."

"Syria said three years ago it was ready to demarcate the borders and some committees have already started working on it."

Bashar welcomed a visit by the Lebanese Prime Minister to Syria, whether it was Prime Minister Fouad Siniora or any other premier, "provided he is heading a national unity government."

As for other anti-Syria politicians, the Syrian President said the door is open for everyone within the framework of mutual respect. "We have no problem with anyone who offended us if they back off," he said.

The Syrian leader pointed out at the current tensions between his country and Saudi Arabia and Egypt, and said the dispute was "only a matter of different points of view," which should not derail joint Arab action.

"We have a difference in views with Qatar, for example, but that did not stop us from working together to resolve the Lebanese issue, and if Egypt or Saudi Arabia believe they have problems with Syria, they should tell us where the problem is," he said.

He said his current tour will not include Saudi Arabia and Lebanon, but as chairman of the Arab Summit, he would visit Arab countries at "the right time and within the framework of joint Arab action."

His current tour also aims to brief Arab leaders on the ongoing peace talks between Syria and Israel, held in Turkey, he said.

"We have explained our vision for peace and are still waiting for the Israeli response. However, our earlier experience in negotiations with Israel was not encouraging, and what Syria is doing now is making sure that Israel is ready for peace," Bashar said. "There are no direct talks at this stage. We believe indirect negotiations are sufficient at this stage as we are still negotiating to find a common ground. [But] we are willing to move to direct negotiations once this is reached," he said.

He said Syria will not offer concessions over the 1967 territories. He said Damascus was negotiating on the basis of the Arab peace initiative, which calls for full Israeli withdrawal from Arab lands occupied in the 1967 war in return for full normalisation of relations. The Arab initiative is based on the Madrid conference's land for peace principles, he said.

With regards to the US role, the Syrian President said the US is an important country because of its international power and its strong relations with Israel. But Washington has no role in the current talks, he stressed.

"Eventually, the negotiations will be carried out under US, international and Arab umbrellas, but the US has no part in the ongoing negotiations at this time," he said.

He added that Syria wants to have good relations with the US, especially concerning regional issues such as Iraq and Palestine, but the current US administration "has problems not only with Syria, but with its friends as well, which is why nothing much is expected from this administration."

As for ties with France, he said they were negatively affected by the situation in Lebanon and Paris' "inability to understand" the Syrian position. "When Paris finally understood this position, relations with France started returning to their normal track."

On the other hand, Syria's ties with Iran play an important role in bridging the gap between Tehran and Arab states.

"Iran is a regional neighbour, and if we disagree with it, we should start a dialogue. What Syria is doing is helping this dialogue," he said, stressing that relations with Iran will not be at the expense of Arabs.

He ruled out any US strike against Iran, adding: "We are working to avoid this, since the consequences of such strike will affect not just Syria but the whole region, especially Iran's neighbours."

Syria will not mediate between the UAE and Iran over the occupied Emirati islands, President Bashar Al Assad said.

"The issue of the three occupied islands has always been a major issue of discussion at Arab summits, and [should] be resolved through peaceful means between the UAE and the Islamic Republic of Iran," he said.

He hailed relations between the UAE and Syria and described them as a model of strong bilateral ties. He commended the stands of President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, "who maintained good contacts even in difficult times."

He said investments made by UAE companies in Syria reflect the strength of the relations.

Bashar noted that a joint holding company would be set up by both governments.

Meanwhile, the Syrian president admitted he was "not satisfied" at the level of political and economic reforms in his country saying: "There are some circumstances that hinder the reform process."

He revealed that "an advisory council" to be in parallel with the Syrian parliament would be set up by the end of this summer "to speed up reforms."

"We work towards widening the scope of participation by Syrian citizens, including opponents, within the national framework."

Syrian President Bashar Al Assad described the situation in the Arab region as "black" except for "a few white dots." "This dark situation should not prevent us from being optimistic, and look for the light spots to build on them," he said.

He said the success of the Arab Summit, held in Damascus in March, has "sparked an atmosphere of optimism" among the Arabs.

"The Doha Agreement also stands as evidence of the ability of Arab leaders to resolve their problems," he said. Arabs were more divided on the diagnosis of problems in Iraq, Palestine and Lebanon five years ago, but today they are more united, he said.

"Arab summits will no longer have mere speeches, but will adopt practical methods with closed-door sessions to discuss the Arab nations' woes and bring views closer on those problems for solutions," he said.

Asked whether the Palestinian parties should also be brought together like in the Doha agreement in the case of Lebanon, as Syria is currently heading the Arab Summit, Bashar said a discussion on Palestine through the media is unacceptable and that there is a Yemeni initiative that was presented at the Arab Summit last March.

He added each side should submit its written objectives and points of view, and then Syria would conduct its role as president of the Arab Summit in addition to Yemen, which presented the initiative. He requested Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to submit these objectives.