Syrian foreign minister, Mossad chief meet to discuss easing tensions and resuming talks

Syrian Foreign Minister Assad Al-Shibani held a meeting today with the head of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency as part of efforts to ease tensions between Damascus and Tel Aviv, according to the US-based Axios news website.

Shibani stated that Damascus expects negotiations with Israel over a security agreement to resume soon, expressing hope that this could lead to Israel's withdrawal from Syrian territory.

The Syrian minister added that the door remains open for diplomacy, urging Israel to seize what he described as a "historic opportunity" to advance relations between the two countries.