German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he is open to new dialogue with the United States, but added that he would not join US President Donald Trump's so-called Board of Peace as it currently stands. 

"We are, of course, ready to explore other forms, new forms of cooperation with the United States of America," he said at a press conference in Rome on Friday.

Merz had previously expressed his willingness to participate in such a body to Trump weeks ago, but he added that what it has now become cannot be accepted by Germany in its current structure "on constitutional grounds."

Germany ready for more cooperation with US

The rejection adds Germany to the list of traditional US allies that said they would not join the board, including France, the UK and Spain.

Saudi Arabia, Hungary and Qatar have confirmed their spots on the US board, which some observers see as a way to circumvent the United Nations. 

Contrary to initial expectations, it is not a body solely dedicated to overseeing the peace process in the Gaza Strip as called for when it was established by a UN resolution. 

Nevertheless, Merz said Berlin was ready to cooperate with Washington in "finding new formats" that bring peace closer "in various regions of the world."

 "And I don't want to limit that just to Gaza and the Middle East. It can, of course, also be Ukraine," Merz said.

Edited by: Wesley Dockery