In an interview ahead of the Israeli top diplomat's meeting with her Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, Alexander Saltanov said: "At talks with Tzipi Livni in Moscow, we plan to exchange opinions on the situation surrounding Iran's nuclear program, and look into diplomatic efforts, to which we believe there is no practical alternative, currently being taken to ease related concerns."
Israel rejects the Islamic Republic's claims that its nuclear program is for electricity generation, despite a generally positive report on Tehran's compliance with the non-proliferation regime by the UN nuclear watchdog late last year and a U.S. intelligence report saying Iran had halted its nuclear weapons program in 2003.
Iran, which possesses long-range missiles that can be armed with nuclear warheads, refuses to recognize the right of Israel to exist as a Middle East state.
The Persian Gulf state has refused to halt uranium enrichment, a process that could be used in weapons production, despite being under two rounds of UN Security Council sanctions. Russia and China, with extensive business interests in Iran, have so far blocked a third, tougher, set of sanctions against Tehran.
Saltanov said the foreign ministers would also discuss the situation in the Middle East in the wake of a U.S.-hosted summit in Annapolis, Maryland, in late November, which produced a commitment by the Israeli and Palestinian leaders to resume peace talks after a seven-year hiatus and reach a deal on a Palestinian state this year.
On Monday, Livni met with former Palestinian prime minister Ahmed Qurei in Jerusalem to try to tackle the most sensitive issues blocking the road to peace - state borders, the fate of Jerusalem and Palestinian refugees.
The parties' earlier efforts to resume peace talks after the Annapolis summit were stalled over Israel's plans to build over 300 new homes in an area near Jerusalem, as well as ongoing rocket attacks on the Jewish state from the Gaza Strip, controlled by the radical Islamist group Hamas since June 2007.
"Divisions between the Israelis and Palestinians are deep. Overcoming them will require great resolve, energy and will from the parties to the conflict," Saltanov said, calling on both sides to refrain from moves that could stir up further violence.
"Rocket attacks on Israel from the Gaza Strip are unacceptable, but Israel should take the decision to refrain from massive retaliatory operations and give up plans to expand settlements on Palestinian lands."
"We hope talks with Livni in Moscow could have positive influence on the peace process and help the parties bring their positions at bilateral talks closer," Saltanov said.
The Palestinians claim all of the West Bank and east Jerusalem, seized by Israel in the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. Israel wants to keep parts of east Jerusalem and the West Bank.
Livni's visit to Russia, one of co-sponsors of the Middle East peace process, is to come after U.S. President George W. Bush's eight-day tour of the region.
