ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates, Feb. 5 (UPI) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel is on a Middle East tour aimed at re-launching the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.
Arriving from Cairo, where she had met with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Arab League Secretary-General Amr Mousa, Merkel Sunday arrived in Saudi-Arabia, where she was welcomed by Defense Minister and Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, along with other ministers and Saudi officials, the official Saudi news agency SPA said.
Merkel has previously announced she wants to use her European Union and Group of Eight presidencies (both started on Jan. 1 of this year) to spark a resumption of peace talks between Israeli and Palestinian officials. The German chancellor wants to revive the Quartet on the Middle East, comprised of Russia, the United Nations, the EU and the United States. There was a "good window of opportunity" for such an initiative, Merkel said.
On Monday, Merkel continued her tour with a stop in the United Arab Emirates; accompanied by German Economy Minister Michael Glos and a high-ranking delegation of German business officials, Merkel will address a German-UAE business forum in Abu Dhabi and preside over the signing of agreements between German and Emirates companies.
On Tuesday, Merkel will conclude her trip through the region after bilateral meetings in Dubai and Kuwait.
