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Chancellor Merkel Completes Middle East Tour

Israel: Prime Minister Olmert greets Chancellor Merkel with a military welcome.

Chancellor Angela Merkel wrapped a three-day tour of the Middle East on Monday in Lebanon, where she met with Prime Minister Fouad Siniora in Beirut and visited the German Naval unit serving in UNIFIL.

A day earlier she met with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Jerusalem and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, calling on both leaders to take advantage of new opportunities in the Middle East Peace process.

Prime Minister Olmert used the opportunity of the visit by the President of the European Council to announce an invitation to the heads of state and government of the Arab nations to come together in Jerusalem for a peace conference. Palestinian President Abbas should also take part in the conference, which would serve to reinvigorate the Middle East peace process
.
The Arab League, meeting in Riad last week, renewed a 2002 peace initiative that envisions the recognition of Israel. In exchange, it requires Israel’s withdrawal from the territories occupied in 1967. The German Government and the EU as well as Israel welcomed the approach under the “land for peace” formula.

Merkel: criteria of Quartet still valid

Ramallah: President Abbas and Prime Minister Olmert have agreed to meet regularly.

In all the discussions over a two-state solution, Merkel underscored after meetings with Olmert and Abbas, it must remain clear that the criteria of the Middle East Quartet set out the prerequisites: recognition of Israel, absolute renunciation of violence and recognition of all previous agreements.

In welcoming the agreement by the two leaders to meet every two weeks, Chancellor Merkel, in the name of the Quartet, offered to review any agreements they reached during those meetings. She also called on the Arab nations to resolutely engage in the peace process and to support the Palestinians.

In regard to the Palestinian government of national unity, Merkel, as Council President again stated: “Only those who renounce violence and accept Israel’s right to exist can be, in our view, a partner in the peace process.”

When she met with President Abbas in Ramallah, Chancellor Merkel welcomed his affirmation of the Quartet criteria and the fact that he had authorization to negotiate.

President Abbas commended the broad outside support for the peace process from the Middle East Quartet as well as from the Arab League.

Earlier on Sunday, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem awarded Chancellor Merkel an honorary doctorate “in recognition of her lifelong dedication to the principles of democracy and in appreciation of her warm and constant friendship for the people and State of Israel.”

In her remarks at the ceremony, Chancellor Merkel said that advocating for Israel’s right to exist would remain a constant of German foreign policy. She also spoke of the current good prospects for the continuation of the peace process. “There is movement; we have a window of opportunity.”

For a sovereign Lebanon

Troops: Chancellor Merkel visited military personnel aboad the Brandenburg.

In Beirut on April 2, after talks with the Lebanese Prime Minister Siniora, Merkel expressed her hopes that Lebanon would become a democratic, independent country. She also called for the murder of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri to be investigated and solved, opening the way for a process of national reconciliation.
If there is to be peace in the region, then Syria too must do its bit, said the Chancellor. She called on Damascus to recognise Lebanon and establish diplomatic relations, and to stop smuggling weapons into Lebanon.

Merkel also stated that Germany would respond constructively to any UN request to extend the Bundeswehr mission to secure the Lebanese coast. She ended her trip with a visit to the frigate Brandenburg, a flagship of the Germany navy. On board, the Chancellor could glean some practical information on the UNIFIL mission and speak to male and female troops.

The maritime part of the UN's UNIFIL mission, known as MTF (Maritime Task Force) involved 18 units from seven nations. Germany is contributing eight vessels, including the Brandenburg.

In close contact with the Lebanese navy, the vessels are protecting the Lebanese coast outside a six-mile zone. The main mandate of the naval units is to prevent any illegal arms imports into Lebanon, as laid out in UN resolution 1701, adopted last August after the Israeli-Lebanon war, when the radical Islamic Hizbollah fired missiles from Lebanese soil into Israel. The Lebanese government then formally requested assistance from the United Nations.

Trip began in Jordan

Jordan: Merkel began her trip with a meeting with King Abdullah II in Akaba.

Chancellor Merkel began her trip in Jordan on Saturday, March 31, where she met with Jordan’s King Abdullah II at his summer residence in Akaba.

Merkel’s trip to the region was a follow up on her visit to the region in early February, when she had talks with leaders in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, and on phone conversations with Prime Minister Olmert, President Abbas and Prime Minister Siniora.

April 4, 2007

Links

Chancellor Merkel Speaks to the Palestinian President Abbas
(March 21, 2007)

Merkel: Two-state Solution is Key to Peace in the Middle East
(February 8, 2007)

Hebrew University of Jerusalem

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