Syrian officials on Saturday threatened to take "practical steps" to regain control of the Golan Heights, since Israel is clearly not willing to negotiate its surrender.

The threats were made during a ceremony inaugurating a new communications center in the town of Kuneitra, which is located nearly on the border with the Golan.

Syrian Information Minister Mohsen Bilal said the new center would be used to report on what he called "the despair of Syrian residents living in the occupied Golan, under the rule of the barbaric and racist state of Israel."

Syrian President Bashar Assad, who last week declared there was no Israeli partner with whom to negotiate peace, was present at the ceremony.