Feltman briefs Syrian foreign minister

DAMASCUS, Syria, May 7 (UPI) -- Acting U.S. Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey Feltman met with Syrian officials Thursday to discuss regional peace initiatives.

Feltman and Daniel Shapiro, U.S. National Security Council senior director, met with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem in Damascus carrying a message from U.S. President Barack Obama.

"I conveyed the commitment of President Obama to continue the work for peace on all tracks, including the Syrian track," the official Syrian Arab News Agency quotes Feltman as saying.

Feltman and Shapiro are on their second trip to Damascus since the beginning of the year. The United States does not have an envoy to Syria currently.

The U.S. officials are expected to tie Syrian engagement with the United States to actions by Damascus in the region, notably the June parliamentary elections in Lebanon.

Their visit comes on the heels of a meeting between Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Syrian officials to press the issue of so-called Zionist aggression in the region.

Feltman is said to have described the Moallem meeting as "constructive," noting Damascus has made improvements in its efforts to reverse its isolationist policies.

Both countries are seeking to thaw diplomatic relations as part of a regional push toward engagement.