By Xinhua
Jerusalem : Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert left Sunday evening for an European trip to meet with French President Nicolas Sarkozy and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown to discuss the Iranian nuclear issue, the daily Jerusalem Post reported on its website.
He also plans to seek support for Israel’s position on the peace process ahead of the U.S.-sponsored Mideast peace conference scheduled to be held in Annapolis of the United States on Nov. 26,said the newspaper.
The report said Olmert will meet in Paris with Sarkozy on Monday. He will also meet with French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner and representatives of the French Jewish community, the largest in Europe.
On Tuesday, Olmert will meet in London with Brown and Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs David Miliband. Talks are also scheduled with leaders of the British Jewish community.
Permanent members of the UN Security Council, Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States, are set to meet before the end of the year to discuss a possible third sanction resolution against Iran over its controversial nuclear issue.
The UN Security Council has adopted two resolutions — one in December 2006 and the other in March this year — to force Iran to suspend uranium enrichment activities and to give up its nuclear program.
The United States and other Western nations have constantly accused Tehran of developing a nuclear weapon program under the guise of a civilian-use program, which was repeatedly denied by Iran.
Iran has insisted that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes and voiced hope for talks to defuse the nuclear standoff.