German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Berlin believes the process of recognising a Palestinian state should begin immediately, adding that the government is ready to accelerate the effort if Israel proceeds with the annexation of parts of the West Bank. Wadephul’s comments mark Germany’s most explicit public signal in recent years that it is prepared to depart from a long-standing policy of withholding formal recognition pending a negotiated two-state solution. He did not outline a specific timetable, but indicated that diplomatic groundwork could start at once.