Hollande arrives in Israel ahead of Iran nuclear talks
French president Francois Hollande arrives in Israel and the Palestinian Territories today for the start of a three-day state visit. His visit comes ahead of the next round of nuclear talks with Iran that are due to start on 20 November.
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French President Hollande will meet Israel's President Shimon Peres and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when he arrives in Israel today for the first official visit of his presidency.
His trip comes as western powers seek an agreement to rein in Iran's controversial nuclear program. France took a stronger position than most Western nations against Iran during the previous talks held in Geneva, and Hollande is expected to receive a warm welcome. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told French media yesterday that he hopes to encourage Hollande to maintain its tough stance on Iran.
Hollande's three day visit includes an address to Israel's parliament tomorrow. He is also expected to visit the graves of four victims of Al-Qaeda-linked gunman Mohamed Merah on Tuesday. Merah killed seven people during a shooting spree around the city of Toulouse in March 2012.
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