WASHINGTON, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on Friday that the Quartet, or the United States, the United Nations, the European Union and Russia, will meet again soon in Berlin to promote the Middle East peace process.

    "I'm happy about the fact that we've been able to agree on a second meeting of the quartet to take place once the trilateral talks have taken place amongst (Israeli) Prime Minister (Ehud) Olmert, (Palestinian leader (Mahmoud) Abbas and our American colleague," Steinmeier said through a translator at a press conference.

    "And we will then meet again, fairly soon, in Berlin," he said.

    U.S. Secretary of State Condollezza Rice will embark a visit to the Middle East this month to have a meeting with Olmert and Abbas to push the stalled Middle East peace process.

    The Quartet held a meeting in Washington on Friday and expressed welcome over the upcoming trilateral meeting as well as U.S. efforts to accelerate progress on the Middle East peace process.

    The Quartet held a meeting one year ago and issued a statement urging Hamas, who won the Palestinian legislative elections at that time, to renounce violence, recognize Israel as well as previous peace agreements between Palestine and Israel. However, Hamas has rejected the appeal.

    The United States has suspended contacts and aid to the Hamas-led Palestinian government and said Hamas will not be a peace partner unless it renounces violence and recognizes Israel.