Doha: European stock markets opened trading higher on Wednesday, driven by hopes of reaching a resolution to the war in the Middle East, following US statements pointing to a peace plan. The pan-European Stoxx 600 index opened up by about 0.3% at the start of trading.

According to Qatar News Agency, among the major markets, France's CAC 40 index in the Paris stock exchange rose by 1.32%, while Germany's DAX index in Frankfurt increased by 1.68%. The UK's FTSE 100 gained 0.83%, and Italy's MIB in the Milan stock exchange rose by 1.34%.