PARIS – The leaders of Israel and Syria have never been closer: A mere one or two meters stood between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Syrian President Bashar Assad Monday, as the two participated in France's annual Bastille Day military parade on the Champs-Elysees in Paris. Video courtesy of Infolive.tv The two did not shake hands. In fact, Assad avoided making eye contact with Olmert, turning his back to him. During the diplomatic meetings in Paris, Olmert warned of the weapon smuggling from Syria to Hizbullah. The two diginitaries stood on the stage at the Place du Concorde, to where the military parade was making its way from the Arc de Triomphe. Olmert stood to the right of French President Nicolas Sarkozy while Assad stood to his left. Standing close to them was Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. When the military parade had concluded, and moments before Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni left the stage and the Champs-Elysees, the French president passed near the leaders. For a moment there, as the leaders mingled, it seemed like the Assad and Olmert would bump into each other – watched by thousands of locals and tourists. But this moment never happened. Other senior diplomats from Europe and the Middle East attendied the military march commemorating the French independence day most prominent were UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Lebanese President Michel Suleiman, as well as Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa al-Thani. Never touching. Olmert and Assad in military march (Photo: Reuters) The Bastille Day military parade marked the festive conclusion of the Mediterranean Forum. The main achievement was the attempt to enter the Syrian president into the moderate nations’ list and the declaration by the presidents of Syria and Lebanon of an embassy exchange between the two countries. The relative failure: Olmert and Assad did not shake hands. For now, there is no decision on direct talks between the two countries, and they will continue the indirect talks. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert met earlier with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, and the two discussed the violation of the Security Council Resolution 1701 which ended the Second Lebanon War. Olmert raised the need to increase UNIFIL forces in order to stop the continuation of weapon smuggling to Hizbullah via Syria, and expressed his concern with the situation in Lebanon. Olmert, Mubarak and Assad's back (Photo: Avi Ochayon, GPO) Olmert also described to his Italian counterpart the complexity of the situation in the Gaza Strip and Israel’s concern with the on-going development of nuclear weapons in Iran. Olmert’s office reported that Berlusconi said he will support adding Israel to the EU, and that the prime minister invited the Italian prime minister to visit Israel. Another interesting meeting awaits Olmert with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. The two are also expected to discuss the worrisome situation in Lebanon following the failure to implement the Security Council Resolution 1701. More on the agenda for the two is the anticipated finale of the prisoner exchange deal this Wednesday. Olmert will also ask the secretary to increase deployment of UNIFIL forces in Lebanon.