President Dmitry Medvedev said he hopes for stronger ties between Russia and Israel when meeting with visiting Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman here on Tuesday.

"I do hope that the traditionally friendly relations between our countries will keep growing stronger and develop in all directions," Medvedev was quoted by the Itar-Tass news agency as saying.

Medvedev also said he will discuss crucial aspects of the Russian-Israeli dialogue, including the Middle East settlement and the global financial crisis.

In response, Lieberman said: "We see Russia as a major partner in regional settlement and on the Palestinian issue," the Interfax news agency reported.

Lieberman on Tuesday also met with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, who urged Iran to prove that its nuclear program was peaceful.

"We have confirmed the need to assure the international community of the exclusively peaceful nature of the Iranian nuclear program," Lavrov was quoted by the RIA Novosti news agency as saying after meeting Lieberman.

Lieberman is on his first official visit to Russia as Israel's foreign minister since taking office on March 31.

Source:Xinhua