Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert met with Russian Dmitry
Medvedev on Tuesday for sensitive talks on Iran's nuclear programme and Russian
arms sales to country's in the Middle East, dpa reported.
Medvedev told journalist at the meeting that Russia was intent on expanding its
role as one of the Quartet of international negotiators in Middle East peace
talks, news agency Interfax reported.
Moscow has expressed ambitions to host a peace conference as a follow-up to the
US-sponsored Annapolis conference last year.
Analysts saw the meeting as an effort by Moscow to balance its ties in the
Middle East after having hosted Syrian President Bashar Assad and King Abdullah
of Jordan, and amid the diplomatic fallout over its war with Georgia.
In the run-up to Olmert's visit, Israel seemed to be on its best behaviour in
relations with Russia, and analysts speculated the goodwill measure were part
of a diplomatic efforts to discourage Moscow from arms sales to Iran and Syria.
"Russia is a world power and its say on regional and global issues is
extremely important, from Israel's point of view," Olmert was quoted by
Interfax as saying meeting with Medvedev.
The Israeli government said it would return a Tsarist-era building, the Sergey
Courtyard, in Jerusalem to Russia on the eve of Olmert's visit.
And the Israeli government ordered a ban on arms sales to Georgia after Russia
accused it of selling spy drones to Georgia used against it in for reconnaissance
in the August conflict.
Olmert was expected to have pressure Russia against selling high- grade S-300
anti-aircraft missiles to Syria and Iran and to improve checks that current
arms shipments do not go to Hezbollah guerrillas, who battled Israel in Lebanon
in 2006.
Olmert, who is making the visit despite his resignation two weeks ago amid
corruption allegations, also met with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
But Russia's powerful former president Vladimir Putin, whom many believe still
holds the reins at the Kremlin, was not in Moscow to meet with the Israeli
premier.
The meeting Tuesday brought no change in Russia's opposition to further
UN sanctions against Iran for its nuclear programme, which Israel and the
United States believe is a cover for ambitions to build atomic weapons.
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