Mideast Tour

Chancellor Merkel's trip to the region concluded with a visit to German forces currently patrolling the coast of Lebanon on a mission to stop cross-border arms smuggling.

On board, Merkel praised the co-operation with Lebanese forces and said Germany would do everything it could to offer all possible assistance to help secure peace in the region.

But earlier in talks with Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora, Merkel said it was too early to discuss extending the naval mandate.

Too early

Germany was appointed to head the UN contingent after the end of the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah militants last August.

In a joint conference after the meeting, she expressed support for a Lebanon free from Syrian influence and she urged Damascus to cooperate in helping to establish democracy and secure peace in its smaller neighbor.

"Syria must stop the smuggling of arms, establish diplomatic relations with Lebanon and demarcate a common border," said Merkel.

Support for probe

The chancellor also urged Damascus to help and "meet all the requests of" the United Nations commission probing the assassination of former Lebanese premier Rafik Hariri.

Hariri was killed February 2005 in a massive bomb blast on Beirut's seafront along with 20 other people. His assassination was widely blamed on Syria, a charge which is so far vehemently denied by Damascus.

Germany currently holds the six-month rotating presidency of the European Union and Lebanon was the final stop on Merkel's tour of the region, which also took in Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian territories.

Reviving peace

Her talks elsewhere focused on the revival of the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians.

During a meeting with Merkel on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert expressed his willingness to take part in a regional peace conference with moderate Arab countries.

But observers have already criticized this as a move to distract from an offer made by the Arab League.

Last Thursday, the Arab states said they would recognize Israel's right to exist if it agreed to withdraw from the areas seized in the 1967 six-day war. Olmert has made no direct response to this initiative.

It also remains to be seen whether Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will heed Merkel's advice to release imprisoned Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit as a humanitarian gesture.

Shalit remains in captivity more than nine months after he was seized by Palestinian militants associated with Hamas.