EU seeks economic partnership with GCC
Gulf-Qatar-European Union, Economics, 4/28/1999

A high-ranking official at the German Foreign Ministry discussed arrangements in Doha on Tuesday for the visit to be held by Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khaleifa al-Thani to Germany at the end of May, in a visit which is his first since he assumed power in 1995.

The director general for political affairs at the German Foreign Ministry said in statements to reporters in Doha on Tuesday that he met on Tuesday with Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad Bin Jasem Bin Jabir al-Thani and high-ranking ministry officials and reviewed bilateral relations and means of developing them, especially in the economic fields.

The German official indicated that Germany seeks to strengthen its relations with Qatar in the areas of investment and tourism. The German official added that Germany sees Qatar as an "economic" partner.

He praised the recent electoral experience in Qatar in which women took part in the municipal elections.

He explained that during the visit of the ruler of Qatar to Germany two cultural and technical agreements will be signed.

The German official discussed with Qatar's foreign minister the situations in the Gulf, the Middle East peace process and Kosovo.

The German official asserted to reporters that the European Union seeks a trade and economic partnership with the GCC due to the fact that the two sides are "two big markets."

The German officials visited the United Arab Emirates and left Doha on Tuesday night for Saudi Arabia to discuss bilateral relations between Saudi Arabia and the European states with the objective of bolstering trade cooperation with the Gulf state.

The German official, whose country is the current president of the European Union, stressed that he discussed means of boosting EU-GCC relations in Abu Dhabi and Doha. He said that the Iranian President Muhammad Khatami will visit Germany during this year. He stressed that his country backs stability in the Gulf region.

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