PARIS (EJP)---French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said France will ask the United Nations to adopt a new resolution with “strong” new sanctions against Iran over its unwillingness to take up appeals for dialogue over its nuclear program.

'It’s not too late to use political means to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear military capacity, but time is pressing,' he told the annual dinner of CRIF, the umbrella group of French Jewish organizations, on Wednesday night in Paris.

He also called on the European Union to "take up its responsibilities" over Iran.

“While we didn’t spare our efforts, the Iranian regime didn’t seized our offers of dialogue. On the contrary, it continued its. Time has come to act,” he said in his address to 800 participants at the dinner.

He said Israel’s security “is an absolute  priority for France” and said his country “totally shares Israel’s concern on the development on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” calling on both sides to make “compromises.”

Fillon also said France was prepared to organize a Middle east peace conference

Around 800 people attended the annual CRIF event including almost all members of the government, MPs, ambassadors, political leaders, religious dignitaries and members of the Jewish community.

Like he did last year, French President Nicolas Sarkozy was present for twenty minutes at the cocktail before the dinner.