Syrian Foreign Minister Faruq al-Shara and Japan's Middle East envoy Tatsuo Arima vowed Wednesday to work for a "just peace" in the Arab-Israeli conflict.
"It is necessary to re-launch the peace process. Syria wants to erect a just and durable peace in the Middle East," Shara told the official SANA news agency, in a joint interview with Arima.
Shara said the world community's efforts were crucial if Israel was to be pressured to make peace and comply with international law.
For his part, Arima conveyed Japan's intentions to be an honest broker in the Middle East, during his talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Wednesday.
"I expressed the determination of the government of Japan to help to realise a just and comprehensive peace in the region," Amira said.
"I conveyed the respect of the government of Japan to President Assad and his government for having maintained the efforts to keep the whole peace process alive."
Assad has publicly called for a resumption of Syria-Israeli negotiations, which have been frozen since January 2000.