BEIRUT- German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle reiterated Saturday his country's commitment to the peace process in the Middle East, as he wrapped up his Beirut visit. The German minister is set to hold talks with Egyptian officials later Saturday in Cairo. Westerwelle held talks Saturday with Lebanese President Michel Suleiman and his Lebanese counterpart, Ali Chami. After the talks with Suleiman, Westerwelle expressed his satisfaction with the stability prevailing in Lebanon. "We are keen to see stability in Lebanon and the whole Middle East region," the German minister said. He also vowed his country's continued participation in the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Lebanon. Chami said the talks with Westerwelle "focused on the regional developments, the Israeli threats against Lebanon and its daily violations of Lebanese airspace. "I told the German minister that Lebanon has registered 6,500 violations of Lebanon's airspace by Israel since the beginning of the year," Chami told reporters after meeting Westerwelle. After the talks with Suleiman and Chami, the German minister visited his country's contingent which monitors the Lebanese coast, to prevent any arms smuggling to the Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah. Westerwelle arrived in Beirut late Friday and started his talks with meeting Lebanon's Prime Minister Saad Hariri. Hariri said that "peace in the Middle East region is an important matter and the German role in it, is crucial" and praised Germany for "playing an important role in the region." Hariri called on Germany to continue its participation in the UN Maritime Task Force. Lebanon is the first leg of a Middle East tour by Westerwelle which will also take him on to Egypt and Syria.
