UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday welcomed the formation of a new government in Israel, and called on the new government to help resume the Middle East peace process with the aim to set up "an independent and viable Palestinian State."

"The secretary-general welcomes the formation of a new government in Israel and looks forward to working with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the full range of peace and security issues in the region," Ban said in a statement issued by his spokesperson, Michele Montas.

"This includes the resumption of the Middle East peace process, with the aim of achieving an independent and viable Palestinian State living side-by-side with a secure Israel, and a comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace as envisaged in Security Council resolutions," said the statement.

"The secretary-general also wishes to underscore his desire for close cooperation and dialogue with the new government to advance the work of the United Nations," the statement added.

However, the new Israeli prime minister, Netanyahu, does not back the two-state solution, making it a pre-condition the Palestinian economy has to be improved first, reports said.

(Xinhua News Agency April 2, 2009)