BERLIN - German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer will make a three-day trip to the Middle East starting on Sunday which will include the opening ceremony of a new Holocaust remembrance museum in Jerusalem.
Fischer, a trusted intermediary in the Middle East peace process, will attend the celebrations at the Yad Vashem museum on Tuesday along with high-level representatives from 25 countries.
He begins his tour by meeting Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas and recently appointed Foreign Minister Nasser al-Qidwa, the nephew of the late Yasser Arafat, on Sunday evening, the foreign ministry said.
Fischer will be received by Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qorei on Monday before holding talks with Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres, Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom and Israeli opposition figures.
The talks will focus on renewed hopes for peace in the Middle East, a foreign ministry statement said.
Fischer has won the confidence of both the Israelis and the Palestinians on frequent trips to the region.
03/11/2005 14:30 GMT