Syria is ready to renew negotiations with Israel on condition that this move will not influence the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians, the country's foreign minister, Walid Moallem, was quoted as saying Friday. Regarding Russia's initiative for a conference as a follow-up to November's Annapolis summit, the Syrian foreign minister stated that his country could not allow itself to be absent from the conference, as the Golan Heights issue would again be discussed. "We attended the conference at Annapolis, it is only natural that we also attend the conference in Moscow," said Moallem, Israel Radio reported. However, on Thursday, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that he was not even convinced of the utility of such a get-together for the Palestinian track. It followed Lavrov's announcement in Damascus that the touted peace conference would deal with the Golan. Olmert, who told Lavrov that he would be holding another meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the near future, said he was not sure of the need for another international conference.