Germany urges Israel-Palestinian peace talks

Germany's foreign minister said on Saturday his country was prepared to help create conditions for a resumption of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. Guido Westerwelle, on a two-day visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories, was quoted by a foreign ministry statement as saying "Germany is ready to help create a climate of confidence" that would permit talks to resume. "The most important thing is that direct talks between Israel and the Palestinians can take place again," said Westerwelle, who met with outgoing Palestinian premier Salam Fayyad in Ramallah. The German minister also stressed the importance for a peaceful outcome of economic development in the Palestinian territories. And he called for an international conference to be held on the civil war in Syria, as has been proposed by Russia and the United States. A political solution is the "only thing, given the current state of affairs, that can bring stability and peace" and "a democratic outcome in Syria."