Israel on Monday welcomed India's contribution in pushing forward the Middle East peace process, saying that its voice "carries weight" in the international community.
"India's voice carries weight in the international community. It is an important country and Israel attaches a lot of significance to its relations with India," Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni told New Delhi's Special Envoy to West Asia Chinmaya Gharekhan, during a meeting in Jerusalem.
"We welcome India's contribution in pushing forward the peace process," Livni, also the deputy prime minister, added.
The Israeli foreign minister briefed the special envoy on the recent contacts between Israeli and Palestinian leadership, expressing cautious optimism on the success of a US-initiated peace conference in November.
"India extends full support and cooperation in moving forward the peace process," Gharekhan said.
Livni also briefed Gharekhan on her two meetings with Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad.
Israeli officials briefed him on the preparations underway for the November peace meet.
Gharekhan will be meeting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Fayyad on Tuesday in the West Bank cityof Ramallah.
The special envoy held talks with Jordanian Foreign Minister Abdelelah al-Khatib in Amman before arriving in Jerusalem.
He will be meeting several senior leaders in Egypt andSaudi Arabia, including Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa, during his eight-day trip to West Asia to extend India's support to the peace process.
