Obama for Middle East Peace

The US President Barack Obama has called for intensifying efforts to achieve a two-state solution to the long running Israel-Palestian conflict, adding that he is confident of progress on the matter this year itself.

Obama, a day after he delivered his much awaited speech in Cairo University, was speaking in the east German city of Dresden. In the Cairo speech, Obama vowed to make a “new beginning” for Islam and America.

“The United States can’t force peace upon the parties. But what we’ve tried to do is clear away some of the misunderstandings,” he told media persons in Dresden.

“I am confident that if we stick to it, having started early, we can make some serious progress this year.”

While, Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, speaking alongside Obama, praised the US president’s Cairo speech and said that it could be a point of departure for Middle East peace efforts.

“With the new US administration and Obama, we have a unique opportunity to revive this … (Middle East) peace process,” she said.

“Yesterday’s speech in a way opened doors toward the Arab world.”