Israeli minister talks security issues with Indian leaders

NEW DELHI: Visiting senior Israeli minister Uzi Landau today said that he had expressed his country's concerns, including those related to security, to Indian leadership and had been listened to "very attentively".

The right-wing minister, whose visit came over a week after the bomb attack on an Israeli diplomat in the capital, claimed Iran was a sponsor of terrorism and blamed it for the Delhi blast.

Asked whether he had discussed these issues with India, Landau, who holds the portfolio of National Infrastructure, told reporters that he felt "people" understood his point of view.

"I would say in broad terms that we were listened to very attentively. I must say that in most of the meetings, my impression is that people understand us very well," he said.

"I don't think this is generally something that is threatening Israel. If Iran becomes nuclear perhaps immediately Saudi Arabia is going to acquire these capability from Pakistan," he said.

Landau said that then more countries would try to acquire nuclear weapons and said that "the free world everywhere is the target of radicals".

The Israeli minister was asked whether the Indian government had explained its interests or compulsions in continuing a strong relation with Iran.

"We did not go into a discussion on that," Landau said and added that he had not told the Indian government "what to do". However, Landau said that he had mentioned to his Indian ministers that Israel too had gas deposits.

"I also mentioned the fact that Israel has now energy, a part of natural gas that we found lately. We don't have any oil or coal," he said.

The Israeli minister also said that he was satisfied with the "professionalism" of Indian agencies who were probing the Delhi blast.