"... quite productive and extensive ..."

Washington-Times/ here

"... At the same time, the State Department removed an official warning discouraging Americans from traveling to Syria, which was previously deemed unsafe.

The U.S. moves followed a series of recent visits to Syria by senior European officials, who have been urging the Obama administration to engage fully with Damascus. But it was the prospect of weakening Syria's close relationship with Iran that motivated Washington to extend a hand, diplomats and analysts said.

"There are challenges on the road, but my meeting with President Assad leaves me hopeful that we can make progress together in the interest of both our countries," said William J. Burns, undersecretary of state for political affairs and the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit Syria in more than five years. Mr. Burns described his Wednesday discussions with Mr. Assad as "quite productive and extensive," covering "areas on which we disagree, but also we found areas of common ground on which we can build."...

In a calculated move, the State Department decided not to extend a "travel warning" to U.S. citizens about "ongoing safety and security concerns in Syria," which expired Friday, officials said. Such advisories are issued regularly for countries around the world, and are renewed when they expire, unless the situation on the ground improves. The officials declined to say whether that was the case in Syria....."