Israel has serious reservations about the Iran nuclear deal being put together in Vienna, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid told his America counterpart, as he pledged to fix "the mistakes made" between the two countries over the past few years.
In their first face-to-face meeting since Israel's new government was sworn in two weeks ago, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Lapid said they would also discuss Israel's normalization accords with Gulf Arab states.
2 View gallery
Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meet in Rome on Sunday
(Photo: AP)
Blinken said he would also be raising the issue of humanitarian assistance into Gaza.
He also said the U.S. supports Israel's normalization accords, but they cannot be a substitute for engaging in issues between Israelis and Palestinians.
Iran and the United States have been holding indirect talks on reviving the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and major powers that imposed restrictions on Tehran's nuclear activities in exchange for lifting international sanctions.
"Israel has some serious reservations about the Iran nuclear deal that is being put together in Vienna. We believe the way to discuss those disagreements is through direct...conversations, not in press conferences," Lapid said in his brief remarks before the meeting in Rome began.
2 View gallery
Diplomats of the EU, China, Russia and Iran at the start of talks on a U.S. return to the 2015 nuclear deal, at the Grand Hotel in Vienna in April
(Photo: AFP)
He also said Israel will be working to improve ties with Washington.
"In the past few years, mistakes were made. Israel's bipartisan standing was hurt and we will fix those mistakes together," he added.
Lapid said he had spoken with Democrats and Republicans since taking office and had "reminded them all that we share America's most basic, basic values of freedom, democracy, free markets and constant search for peace."
He also met with Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al-Zayani later Sunday. On Tuesday, Lapid plans to visit the United Arab Emirates in the first state visit by an Israeli minister to the Gulf State.
First published: 20:29, 06.27.21