Moscow - 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.

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.

Tel Aviv - Israel will have to withdraw from the occupied territories, including East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights, if it wanted peace with its Arab and Palestinian neighbours, outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said in remarks published Monday. 

Tel Aviv - Iran's nuclear ambitions need to be dealt with by the international community and not by Israel alone, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said in remarks published Monday. 

"Iran is a large world power, which poses a threat to the international community. The one charged with handling the Iranian issue is, first and foremost, the international community," he told the Yediot Ahronot daily in an interview to mark the Jewish new year, which begins Monday evening. 

He said comments by Israeli leaders and analysts about what was needed in order to deter the perceived Iranian threat showed that Israel was "a country that has lost a sense of proportion about itself." 

Tel Aviv  - Israel will have to withdraw from the territories it occupies, including East Jerusalem, if it wants peace with its Arab and Palestinian neighbours, outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said in an interview published Monday.

"We need to reach an agreement with the Palestinians, whose significance is a withdrawal from almost all the (occupied) territories, if not from all the territories, " he told the Yediot Ahronot daily in an interview to mark the Jewish new year, which begins Monday night, and to mark his own impending departure from office.

Tel Aviv - The turmoil over his forced resignation is still fresh, yet interim Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert continues to pursue great plans.

During his remaining weeks, or months, in office at the head of a caretaker government, the 62-year-old insists on continuing his efforts to reach a peace deal with the Palestinians.

"Israel and the Palestinians have never been closer to an agreement," says his spokesman, Mark Regev. It is still possible to meet the end-of-year deadline, he surprises sceptics.

Jerusalem - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told his cabinet Sunday that he intends to resign the premiership, following the election of Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni as the new leader of his ruling Kadima Party.

"I am announcing to the cabinet my decision to resign my position as prime minister of Israel," Olmert said in remarks broadcast later by Israel Radio.

"This is not an easy decision and not a simple one," he said, adding that "I think I am acting in a suitable, statesmanlike and responsible manner, as I promised the Israeli public."