BERLIN - GermanyÂ’s foreign minister was to set off Monday on a Middle East trip that will include talks with SyriaÂ’s leaders aimed at persuading the country to play a constructiveÂ’ role in the region, the government said.
While Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier launched himself into the diplomatic fray, officials remained tightlipped on whether Berlin would contribute to an international force in Lebanon following a UN cease-fire. Government spokesman Thomas Steg said he expected more clarity at the end of the week.Â’ With the Nazi-era past in mind, German leaders have been cautious about deploying soldiers near IsraelÂ’s borders.
Meanwhile, Germany has tried to draw Syria -- a key supporter of the Hezbollah militants, whose July 12 capture of two Israeli soldiers sparked the fighting -- into efforts to defuse the crisis.
Steinmeier intends to argue for a positive position on the part of the Syrian governmentÂ’ amid moves to implement the UN cease-fire resolution, he added.
Last month, Steinmeier held out the prospect of closer relations with the European Union if Syria cooperates. Ploetner said that, on this trip, he will not have any concrete promises or anything like that in his luggage.Â’
As for GermanyÂ’s own plans in the region, political leaders have sent mixed signals, citing concerns that the military is already stretched with deployments in Afghanistan, Congo and former Yugoslavia and worries over the weight of history. A deployment would require parliamentary approval.
Some argue that Berlin should help with sea patrols or security on LebanonÂ’s border with Syria, or stay out of an international force altogether. We will in any case participate in efforts to bring stability to the region,Â’ Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, a leading member of Chancellor Angela MerkelÂ’s Christian Democrats, said on ZDF television. Whether that is with soldiers, whether we will help with border security or the like, we will have to see,Â’ he added. Schaeuble said there had been discussions on whether Germany could help with border security, but did not elaborate. |