Germany's foreign minister will tour the Middle East next week seeking to lend momentum to US President Barack Obama's drive to jumpstart the dormant peace process, a spokesperson said on Friday.

Frank-Walter Steinmeier will visit Israel and meet Palestinian officials in the West Bank on Monday before travelling to Syria and Lebanon on Tuesday.

"We have had new momentum in the Middle East peace process since the new government took office in Washington and support its fresh efforts to reach a two-state solution and a return to negotiations," a foreign ministry spokesperson, Andreas Peschke, told a regular government news conference.

He noted the crucial role neighbouring countries must play in the process and said Germany saw several rays of hope in the region including the peaceful elections in Lebanon on 7 June and improved relations between Lebanon and Syria — factors that present a "window of opportunity".

Peschke said Germany was pursuing a Middle East policy, in close consultations with its European partners and the United States, that moved away from "slogans" and focused on practical assistance on the ground.

Such steps include development assistance for the Palestinians and training for security forces in the territories to help prepare for eventual statehood. Steinmeier will assess the progress of such projects while in the West Bank.

AFP