Germany vows to stay in the Middle East

BEIRUT, Lebanon, Oct. 30 (UPI) -- An end of the German naval mission off the coast of Lebanon is not in sight.

Germany will maintain its long-term commitment to help solve the Middle East peace process, and thus not end the UNIFIL naval mission until peace is achieved, German Defense Minister Franz Josef Jung said in Beirut as he visited navy troops on a German frigate, Deutsche Welle Online reported.

Germany currently heads the seven-nation UNIFIL naval force tasked with securing the Lebanese coast with two frigates, a supply ship and two speed boats. The country has more than 800 soldiers patrolling the seas for weapons smuggling and other illegal activities that could disturb the peace process. Last month Germany’s lawmakers extended the mission -- the first German contribution to the Middle East since World War II -- for one more year.

Jung’s trip, which will also take him to the United Arab Emirates, Jordan and Israel, precedes one by German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, whose trip to the region comes as part of the EU Middle East Action Plan, an initiative spearheaded by Germany that aims to support small and medium-sized enterprises in the Palestinian territories, help train Palestinian police and further assist the Palestinian education system.

Steinmeier will also attend the Iraq Conference this upcoming weekend in Istanbul, which focuses on the conflict between Turkey and Kurdish rebels hiding in mountainous northern Iraq. In Istanbul, Steinmeier will meet with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. In their talks, both diplomats will surely also focus on the U.S.-led Middle East peace conference, which will take place at the end of November in Annapolis, Md.