Speaking at a joint press conference with Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh on Sunday, Westerwelle stressed that the countries should move away from proximity talks brokered by the United States in favor of direct talks that could lead to the formation of an independent Palestinian state.

The coming months will be crucial, said Westerwelle. We ask the parties to move from proximity talks to direct negotiations as a sole path that leads to the two-state solution and stability in the Middle East.

Westerwelle said Germany remained committed to close coordination with the US Middle East envoy George Mitchell, who is conducting the proximity talks.

Jordan was the third stop in the foreign minister's current Middle East tour after previous visits to Lebanon and Egypt. Earlier in the day, he met with Jordan's King Abdullah II...