<div><p>Russia's planned international conference on the Middle East must be well-prepared if it is to succeed, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad told visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Sunday.</p><p>The official SANA news agency said Lavrov briefed Assad on Moscow's wish to "organise a conference on the Middle East in order to discuss the peace process."</p><p>It said the Syrian president responded that "the conference must be well-prepared" and "set out objectives as well as the positions of those parties concerned" in the Israeli-Arab conflict.</p><p>Assad also said it was important to know "the extent of Israel's commitment to achieve a just and comprehensive peace," SANA reported.</p><p>On Saturday, he branded Israel as the "major obstacle" to peace in the Middle East and backed the right of resistance to recover occupied land.</p><p>Addressing a ministerial gathering in Damascus of the 57-nation Organisation of the Islamic Conference, Assad said the current state of Middle East peacemaking had exposed the "true nature of this aggressive state."</p><p>The OIC represents 1.5 billion Muslims worldwide.</p><p>Russia announced in January its intention to stage a Middle East conference in the first half of this year, but the idea has not been received with enthusiasm in either Israel or its key ally, the United States.</p><p>The Palestinians, who have had good relations with Russia since the Soviet era, welcomed it.</p><p>Russia, with the European Union, the United Nations and the United States, is a member of the international quartet for Middle East peace.</p><p>On Saturday night, Lavrov met Khaled Meshaal, the Damascus-based leader of Hamas, a spokesman for the Palestinian Islamist movement said without providing further details.</p><p>On Monday, Lavrov will visit Lebanon.</p><img src="http://admatch-syndication.mochila.com/images/ad.gif?aid=51114846&bid=informcom" /></div><div id="copyright"><div>

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