German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier welcomed the latest developments in the Middle East on Monday, a day before Berlin hosts a ministerial conference on Palestinian security, reported dpa.
There were good reasons to support the positive developments of recent weeks, he said in reference to the Palestinian-Israeli truce in the Gaza Strip and peace talks between the Jewish state and Syria.
At the same time, there was a need for caution because past efforts towards achieving a Mideast solution had failed to bear fruit, Steinmeier said in a television interview.
Foreign ministers from 23 countries are expected to attend Tuesday's Berlin conference, among them US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Russia's Segei Lavrov.
Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and Israeli Foreign Minister will be among the speakers at the meeting, which is seeking to raise funds to help the Palestinians modernize their police force and judicial system.
Steinmeier said it was important to show both sides, particularly the Palestinians that not only peace but also the long way towards reaching that goal paid dividends.
"Security in the Palestinian territories is also a contribution towards security in Israel," he said.