Israeli FM - 'Our biggest concern is Iran'

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman (left) with Poland's head of diplomacy Radoslaw Sikorski in Warsaw, 16.01.2012. Photo: PAP/Pawel Supernak

Minister Lieberman was received today by his Polish counterpart Radoslaw Sikorski, who discussed the issue of Iran and its efforts to allegedly gain nuclear weapon capabilities.

“Our biggest concern is Iran,” Lieberman told journalists on Monday, adding that “I think the timing [is] now to move the discussions from slogans to really tough measures and tough sanctions.”

Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski also added that “Poland […] calls on Iran to give its nuclear programme up to international monitoring, and believes that Iran should be persuaded or pressured to give up its hopes of producing nuclear weapons.”

Iran denies that it is trying to build up a nuclear arsenal and claims that it is only developing a nuclear power capacity.

The two ministers also discussed the current situation in the Middle East, the results of the Arab Spring, and advances in the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians.

A topic on the agenda was Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas’ week-long diplomatic effort in Britain, Germany, and Russia to gain support for the resumption of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, on hold since September 2010.

“It’s important we start direct talks,” Lieberman said. “I think that both sides understand the only way to resolve our long standing conflict is to achieve agreement between two sides, not through the international community and not through political manoeuvres, but through direct meetings.” (hh/jb/pg)

Audio by Hagay Hacohen