Saudi foreign minister deplores Israel's decision on Golan

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister, Saud al-Faisal, condemned on Tuesday the Israeli decision to expand settlements in the occupied Syrian Golan, stressing that this decision is a continuation of Israel's unilateral anti-peace policies, at a time Syria announces readiness to continue peace negotiations within international peace initiatives.

In a press conference, al-Faisal denounced the "Israeli hostile practices against the Palestinian people," and Israel's insistence on building the separation wall which "proves Israel's attempt to impose unilateral solutions to isolate the Palestinians."

He underlined the importance of the European role in reviving the peace process within the complicated international circumstances, stressing rejection to settling the Palestinians in the Arab states. He also called for challenging Sharon's anti-peace policy.