This round of talks should take place on Wednesday, but it had been postponed due to the resignation of chief Israeli negotiator, Assad said at the beginning of the summit.
"There was supposed to be a fifth round, meant to be crucial, to be held yesterday. The resignation of the chief Israeli negotiator led to the postponement, which would determine the course of these negotiations," Assad said.
According to the Israeli daily The Jerusalem Post on Monday, the peace talks were postponed due to the resignation of chief Israeli negotiator Yoram Turbowitz.
Turbowitz has resigned from the position of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's chief of staff, and thus lost his legal authority to conduct negotiations on behalf of Israel, said the report.
As a result, the fifth round of the Turkey-mediated talks has to be postponed as Turbowitz waits for Attorney General Menahem Mazuz to grant him legal permission to continue to lead the team, according to the report.
"We are now looking for a formula of general principles as a basis for direct negotiations between Syria and Israel," Assad said, adding that Syria and Israel had separately raised ideas on the Israeli withdrawal from the Golan Heights.
The president also said "Syria has put forward six points on peacemaking with Israel and has handed to the Turkish side and awaits Israel's response."
"In the event that Israel responds positively, we will move into direct negotiation," Assad said, hoping for a new U.S. administration's commitment to the peace process.
The role of the United States, as well as that of France, is necessary, and Turkey would continue to be a key partner at the current and next stages, Assad urged.
Concerning the internal politics in Israel, Assad said "we are awaiting the Israeli elections. We want the support of all countries, primarily France, Qatar and Turkey, to insure that the next Israeli prime minister would continue the same trend adopted by Ehud Olmert to withdraw completely from occupied territories in order to achieve peace."
The Damscus four-way summit also gathered visiting French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Qatar's Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani.
Sarkozy, whose country currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU, said EU appreciates Turkey's role in mediating between Syria and Israel.
He promised France's readiness to help if Israel agreed to talk directly to Syria.
Meanwhile, Assad also announced that the Syrian-Lebanese diplomatic relations will be discussed during the next few months and new ambassadors are expected to be appointed before the end of this year.
Israel and Syria announced in mid-May that they had started peace negotiations under the auspices of Turkey.
The key issue between the two neighbors are the strategic Golan Heights, which Israel seized from Syria in the 1967 Six Day War and annexed in 1981, a move that was not recognized by the international community.
Syria wants the return of the full Golan, but Israel in turn wants Damascus to cut ties with its foes, including Iran, radical Palestinian groups and Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah movement.
