Middle East tour
June 14, 2011
On a tour of the region on Tuesday, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle warned the Palestinian leadership against making a unilateral move to seek UN recognition of an independent Palestinian state.
"The German government thinks that unilateral steps would be very counterproductive," Westerwelle said after talks with Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad in Ramallah. "Negotiations should be the way."
Westerwelle avoided making specific reference to the Palestinians' calls for UN recognition, but reiterated that Berlin supported "the Palestinian people in having an independent state." German officials had already stated publicly that they opposed any unilateral move by the Palestinian Authority to seek UN membership and recognition.
Westerwelle started his tour at the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem before traveling to the West Bank to meet Fayyad and Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas.
The foreign minister was also due to examine Israeli settlement activity around the West Bank ahead of meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman.
Germany has repeatedly criticized Israeli settlement building in the occupied territories as an obstacle to Middle East peace.
Westerwelle has been accompanied on his tour by Development Minister Dirk Niebel, who traveled to the Gaza Strip on Tuesday to gather information on German-Palestinian development cooperation, including the reconstruction of a sewage treatment plant in the territory.
During his visit, Niebel called on Israel to end its blockade of Gaza and for militant Palestinian groups such as Hamas to adhere to cease-fire agreements with the Jewish state. He said these were preconditions for reconstruction work to recommence in the strip.
Niebel announced 3 million euros ($4.3 million) in aid to build schools in the territory. He was also scheduled to meet with the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, Filippo Grandi.
Rebels bolstered
On their way to Israel, Westerwelle and Niebel made an unexpected visit to the Libyan city of Benghazi, where they communicated that Germany had officially recognized the rebel National Transitional Council as the sole legitimate representative of the Libyan people.
Libya has been mired in months of conflict between rebels and forces loyal to strongman Moammer Gadhafi, who has maintained his grip on power in the west of the country despite widespread calls for him to step down.
Author: Darren Mara (dpa, dapd)
Editor: Michael Lawton