France, Germany ready for Mideast peace initiative

PARIS, Jan 8 (Reuters) - French President Nicolas Sarkozy said on Thursday he and German Chancellor Angela Merkel were prepared to take a joint initiative to help promote peace in the Middle East, without elaborating on what they were planning.

Sarkozy, who drew up a plan for a truce between Israel and Hamas fighters in the Middle East with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, said Merkel agreed Israel should withdraw from Gaza as soon as possible but should also receive security guarantees.

He added that both countries were ready to do whatever was necessary to secure a peace deal. (Reporting by Francois Murphy; editing by Crispian Balmer)