Brussels - US President Barack Obama's offer of direct talks with Iran is a "very good" one and deserves an "intelligent" response, the man who heads international negotiations over Iran's controversial nuclear programme said Friday.

Ramallah - European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana said in Ramallah Saturday that any government in Israel should continue to honour commitments made by previous governments.

After meeting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Solana told reporters that the international community would deal with the next Israeli government "according to its programme and platform."

Beirut/Damascus - EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said on Wednesday that he hoped Lebanon's upcoming parliamentary elections will be held in "a tension-free" environment.

He was speaking in Beirut as part of a week-long trip to the Middle East, and shortly before a UN Special Tribunal in the Hague is due to try alleged suspects in the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri.

He later flew on to Cairo, where he was due Thursday to have talks with Egyptian President Hosny Mubarak and other leading officials.

Beirut/Damascus - EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said on Wednesday that he hoped Lebanon's upcoming parliamentary elections will be held in "a tension-free" environment.

He was speaking in Beirut as part of a week-long trip to the Middle East, and shortly before a UN Special Tribunal in the Hague is due to try alleged suspects in the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri.

Damascus  - EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana arrived in Damascus for high-level talks on Tuesday afternoon, at the start of a week-long tour of the region.

Over the course of his two-day stay in Damascus, Solana will meet Deputy Prime Minister Abdallah al-Dardari on Tuesday evening, followed by a meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallim on Wednesday.

Brussels  - The European Union's top diplomat is set to pay his first visit to Belarus on Thursday in a further sign of the thaw in relations between Brussels and Minsk, EU officials confirmed.

Javier Solana is to hold talks with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and Foreign Minister Sergei Martynov before meeting opposition figures including former presidential candidate Alexander Milinkevich, a statement from Solana's office said.