Syria: We want entire Golan

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem told visiting US official Frederic Hoff on Thursday that Damascus wants the Golan Heights back as part of any Middle East peace deal.

Muallem stressed Syria's wish to "recover Golan as far as the border of June 4, 1967," before Israel occupied the upland region in that year's six-day war, Sana official news agency reported.

The Syrian minister reaffirmed "his country's support for achieving a fair and global peace (deal) in the region in line with the principle of exchanging land for peace," the news agency said.

Hoff, deputy to American special Middle East peace envoy George Mitchell, reiterated the desire of the United States to work for a peace deal in the Middle East, Sana added.

The US wants to play an active and balanced role to re-launch peace talks on all Syrian and Palestinian issues with Israel, the report quoted him as saying.

Relations between the United States and Syria have begun to improve since Barack Obama became US president.

Washington announced on June 24 its decision to send an ambassador back to Damascus, the latest of a series of cautious signals from the Obama administration.

The United States recalled its ambassador to Syria in 2005 after the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri, which many blamed on Syria though it denies involvement.

The embassy remained open directed by a charge d'affaires.

Washington has accused Damascus of supporting "terrorist" groups, seeking to destabilize Lebanon and allowing transit through Syria of weapons for fighters in Iraq.