Merkel in Gulf Region

Over the past six weeks, Angela Merkel has already met with Israeli Prime Minister Olmert, president of the Palestinian autonomous authority Abbas and Jordanian King Abdullah II. The forthcoming trip to the Gulf region -- during which she will visit four countries in four days -- will be the German chancellor's first longer trip after 14 months in office.

Merkel has received assurances from US President George W. Bush that the United States will again strengthen their involvement in the peace negotiations between Israel and Palestine. On Friday, one day before Merkel's trip to the Gulf, the Middle-East Quartet -- consisting of the US, Russia, the EU and the UN -- met again for the first time in a year.

While former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder made economic ties the focus of his trips to the Middle East, "political topics will clearly stand in the foreground" during Merkel's talks, said government spokesperson Thomas Steg.

Political agenda

Germany's economics minister, Michael Gloss, is also traveling to the region together with a delegation of business leaders, but their routes will overlap only occasionally.

"The chancellor would like the countries in the region to feel responsible and participate in conflict resolution," Steg said.

There are already enough conflicts in the Middle East: While Lebanon's moderate government is fighting for stability, Iran is causing alarm with its nuclear plans, and Palestinian rival movements Hamas and Fatah are involved in a power struggle that has -- since the escalation of violence -- cost 60 lives.

"The essential historical conflict, however, remains to be the one between Israel and Palestine," said Middle East expert Christian-Peter Hanelt. "If this conflict gets resolved, this will have a positive effect on the whole region."

A stabilizing role

It's become clear in the last few months that moderate Gulf countries can play an important role for the stabilization of the Middle East.

"They are now showing more clearly that they are ready to assume responsibility," Hanelt said.

The Saudi royal family exerted positive influence, for instance, during the Hezbollah general strike in Lebanon.

"In his talks with the Iranian leaders, their special envoy prevented the escalation of the general strike," Hanelt said.

Together with Egypt, Saudi Arabia offered earlier this week to mediate in the inner-Palestinian conflict.

Similar interests

According to Günter Meyer, who heads the Mainz-based Center for Research on the Arab World, the Saudi King Abdullah will be a particularly important negotiating partner for Merkel because Germany and Saudia Arabia have similar interests, especially vis-à-vis Iran.

"Since Iran is no longer militarily kept at bay by Iraq, the Saudis are increasingly seeing a threat in Iran because of their ideological differences," Meyer said.

Iran is ruled by Shiite Moslems, whereas the Saudis are mostly Sunnites.

"The fact that she is the Council President of the whole European Union will strengthen her position during this trip," Meyer said.

In her talks with King Abdullah II last week in Berlin, Merkel spoke about taking advantage of the existing "window of opportunity for the peace process." After her trip to the Middle East, she'll know a little better if she was right about it.