Israel's Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon and British Minister for the Middle East Alistair Burt discussed the threat posed by Iran’s nuclear ambitions, especially in light of Tehran beginning to enrich uranium to 20% at the Fordo nuclear enrichment plant, during a meeting Tuesday in Jerusalem.
Burt updated the Israeli minister on British plans to step up economic pressure on Iran through tougher sanctions, including on Iranian oil. He also mentioned Britain’s previous action to sever financial ties with all Iranian financial institutions including the Iranian Central Bank.
They also discussed the renewed contacts in Jordan between Israel and the Palestinian Authority under the framework of the Quartet statement of 23 September 2011 and reflected on the situation across the region, a year since the start of unprecedented changes in the Arab world.
Burt declared: "I am delighted to be visiting Israel for the third time in a year, as we work to strengthen the long-standing friendship between the UK and Israel. Deputy Minister Ayalon and I had productive meeting today that emphasized our close partnership. I expressed Britain’s support for the talks currently underway in Amman. I hope that both sides will seize this opportunity to move forward towards peace."
The two ministers also discussed key elements of bilateral ties, including rapidly increasing trade figures, the shared goal of building a UK/Israel partnership in high tech, and ambitious plans to strengthen UK-srael scientific collaboration.
"The discussions held today with Minister Burt are another example of the strong relationship between our nations, and the shared concerns we have over developments in the region," Ayalon said.
He said ties between the UK and Israel on a range of issues are increasing. "I look forward to continuing our discussion when I will meet again with Minister Burt in London next week."
As part of his tour, Alistair Burt also visited the Palestinian Territories and met in Ramallah with Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat.