BERLIN, March 14 -- Germany is due to host a Middle East conference early June in Berlin to support the efforts to build an effective police force and justice system in a future Palestinian state, the German government said Friday.

    In confirming an earlier report by the German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung, German government spokesman Ulrich Wilhelm said that the Berlin conference would not be a "peace conference" but an international gathering to support former British Prime Minister Tony Blair in his capacity as the EU coordinator to help build a modern Palestinian state.

    According to the Sueddeutsche Zeitung, besides Israeli and Palestinian officials, all EU states, several Arab states, as well as Russia, the United States, the EU and the United Nations will be invited to the conference which will be held at the ministerial level.

    Wilhelm also said that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the Berlin conference during a telephone conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday.

    Abbas also briefed Merkel on the situation in Gaza and urged the German leader to address the issue of Jewish settlement building during her upcoming visit to Israel.

    Merkel will start her three-day trip on Sunday to mark the 60thanniversary of the founding of Israel.

    She is due to meet Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Monday and will be the first German chancellor to address the Israeli parliament.