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March 4, 2005 |
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PRINCE SALMAN AND CHANCELLOR SCHROEDER INAUGURATE THE "75 YEARS OF SAUDI-GERMAN RELATIONS" EXHIBITION. THE GOVERNOR OF RIYADH: WE INVITE GERMAN BUSINESSMEN TO INVEST THEIR CAPITALS IN THE KINGDOM. SCHROEDER: WE CURRENTLY COOPERATE IN FIGHTING TERRORISM, AND WE WISH TO DEVELOP OUR COLLABORATION IN THIS AREA. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz received at Al-Yamamah palace the and his accompanying delegation. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques welcomed the chancellor, wishing him a good stay in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. On his part, Chancellor Schroeder stressed his country's keenness on enhancing relations between the two friendly countries and their peoples. During the meeting, they discussed the situations on the international arenas. Aspects of cooperation between the two countries and ways of their enhancement in all fields were also reviewed. The audience was attended by Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard; Prince Abdul Rahman Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General; Prince Miteb Ibn Abdul Aziz, Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs; other princes; ministers and officials German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and his accompanying delegation arrived in Riyadh on a visit to the Kingdom. At Riyadh Airbase Airport, they were received by Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard; Prince Abdul Rahman Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General; Prince Miteb Ibn Abdul Aziz, Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs; other princes; ministers and officials. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz and Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard held talks with the German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder on major international issues including Iraq and Palestine. The two sides also explored ways of strengthening relations. Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard, and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder held a meeting at the Crown Prince's palace. During the meeting, they discussed the events and developments at the international arena particularly the Palestinian issue and the situation in Iraq. Aspects of cooperation between the two countries and ways of their enhancement in all fields were also reviewed. On the Saudi side, the audience was attended by Prince Abdul Rahman Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General; Prince Miteb Ibn Abdul Aziz, Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs; Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the Foreign Minister; other princes; ministers and officials. On the German side, it was attended by the delegation accompanying the chancellor. Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard, held at his palace a luncheon party in honor of German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and his accompanying delegation. The party was attended by Prince Abdul Rahman Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General; Prince Miteb Ibn Abdul Aziz, Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs; Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the Foreign Minister; other princes; ministers and officials. Later Riyadh Governor Prince Salman and Schroeder jointly inaugurated an exhibition titled "75 Years of Saudi-German Relations" at the King Abdul Aziz Historical Center in Riyadh highlighting the "excellent" bilateral ties. "This exhibition presents a documentation of the long-standing friendly relationship between the two countries," Prince Salman said during a reception in honor of Schroeder and his delegation. "Saudi Arabia is keen to activate and implement trade agreements and treaties signed with Germany, which is one of the leading trading partners of the Kingdom," Prince Salman said. Germany is Saudi Arabia's third largest trading partner after the United States and Japan. Schroeder, who is heading a big delegation including top German businessmen, said the friendship treaty, which was signed 75 years ago in Cairo, affirmed that the two countries would work for peace. "I believe that we have both fulfilled this requirement over the past 75 years even though the world had been at war many times and had witnessed troubles. This successful and exemplary cooperation should be an additional motive for both countries to step forward toward developing their relations for the prosperity of our nations," he said. "We currently cooperate in fighting terrorism, and we wish to develop our collaboration in this area. We would like to work together in the scientific and technological fields also," the chancellor said, adding that he was also keen on promoting a student exchange program between the two countries. German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and Governor of Riyadh Region Prince Salman opened the exhibition depicting 75 years of Saudi-German relations. The event is jointly organized by the German Embassy and Al-Turath Foundation. The chancellor's visit to Saudi Arabia is part of his swing through the GCC (Arab Gulf Cooperation Council) states and Yemen. Schroeder exchanged views with Saudi officials on various issues in the region, mainly the latest developments in Iraq and Lebanon. "This exhibition reflects the long-standing and strong relationship between the two countries. It commemorates the Friendship Treaty signed in Cairo in 1929 between Von Hindenbourg, president of the German Reich at the time and the envoys of King Abdul Aziz Al-Saud," said Gerhard Schrombgens, German ambassador to Saudi Arabia. "We are quite happy and optimistic about the outcome of this occasion; we believe we will have very positive feedback from people and businesses in both countries. This event will be followed by cultural activities for further and better understanding among intellectuals and opinion makers in Germany and Saudi Arabia," the ambassador added. "We highly appreciate the support and the efforts exerted by the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce & Industry and Al-Turath Foundation who availed the opportunity for the success of the exhibition," the ambassador said. Prince Salman and Schroeder toured the exhibition which included a number of photographs and historical documents including the friendship agreement signed in Cairo in 1929 by representatives of King Abdul Aziz and the German government. Speaking on the occasion, Prince Salman expressed happiness over Schroeder's visit to the Kingdom, and hoped that the visit would yield positive results. He noted that Saudi-German relations began in 1926, and in 1929 the Saudi-German friendship treaty was signed, and in 1931 a German Consul General was appointed in Jeddah. Prince Salman pointed out that King Saud visited Germany in 1959, and King Fahd visited Germany in 1978, when he was the Crown Prince. Moreover, King Khaled also visited Germany in 1980, while former German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt visited the Kingdom in 1976, and Chancellor Helmut Kohl visited the Kingdom in 1985. Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard, visited Germany in 2001, and Schroeder visited the Kingdom in 2003. 'No doubt these visits had positively contributed to further enhancing bilateral relations', he said, noting that Saudi Arabia organized in 1985 an exhibition titled "The Kingdom: Yesterday and Today," in three German cities. "In the light of the economic weight of Saudi Arabia and Germany, the Kingdom is keen on further boosting these relations in a manner that serves mutual interests', he said. Prince Salman said Germany is the third largest country in the world as regards imports from the Kingdom', he said and added 'we invite German businessmen to invest their capitals in the Kingdom'. The Governor of Riyadh said the Kingdom and Germany are capable of enhancing the pillars of the global peace and world economy, and to work for the stabilization of the world economy. On his part, Schroeder highlighted the existing strong Saudi-German relations, and said the two countries are working for enhancing global peace. He praised the ongoing cooperation between the Kingdom and Germany for combating terrorism, and underscored the importance of cooperation between the two countries in the cultural and scientific domains. The opening ceremony of the exhibition was attended by Prince Mohammed Ibn Saad Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Advisor of the Interior Minister, as well as other princes and senior officials. Schroeder address a meeting at the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry, organized in cooperation with the German Embassy. According to sources, political discussions with the Saudi leadership were likely to address issues related to reformation of the United Nations and expansion of the Security Council. Germany is one of four countries seeking permanent membership. The others are Japan, India and Brazil. Schroeder reaffirmed his country's support to Saudi Arabia's accession to the World Trade Organization. Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the Foreign Minister, held a meeting with visiting German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. Issues of common interest were discussed during the meeting. German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said his country stood for an independent Palestinian state, peace and security for Israel, stability for Iraq, and no nuclear arms for Iran. Inaugurating the "75 Years of Saudi-German Relationship Business Forum" at the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI), during which business accords between Saudi Arabia and Germany involving $6 billion were signed, Schroeder said that the European Union will help establish a Palestinian state by donating 250 million euros. Minister of Planning and National Economy Khaled Al-Qusaibi, and RCCI board Chairman Albdul Rahman Al-Jeraisy also addressed the forum. "When money arrives in Palestine, a quarter of it is always German money. A quarter of the European budget is carried by Germany. We... also want to assist in the economic reconstruction in Palestine, with its people living freely. Maybe there's probability in doing this together," he said. He also expressed his wish for peace and order in Israel. "I clearly say what we want to do. We would like to live in secure frontiers with people free from terrorist attacks. We should succeed in establishing peace and order. Therefore, it's fair to identify common ground on this policy and implement," he said. As far as Iraq is concerned, he said that the entire region is interested in it. "We (Germany) have an interest to be helpful when it comes to establishing security and helping the people of Iraq solve their own problems by themselves," he said. He also wants to see economic recovery in Iraq. As for Iran, he said that he does not want it to possess atomic weapons. Talking about Saudi-German ties, he said that the two countries enjoy close cooperation. "But I want close cooperation in all levels. That means that Germans don't only come to Saudi Arabia, but Saudis should also visit Germany," he said. He said that both countries can do many things together, like the development of infrastructure in the Kingdom, saying that Germany has a big network of consultants. He said that Germany has excellent expertise in technical and vocational institutions. They can advise Saudi partners in this field while also helping in training Saudi youths, thus contributing to the solution of unemployment. Germany has excellent universities with many offering higher education to Saudis in English and German, he added. He invited Saudi students and the government to benefit from the German experience. Addressing the forum, Al-Qusaibi paid tributes to Arab-German relations. "We should learn from the great German poet and author Wolfgang von Goethe, who was inspired by the Arab-Muslim poet Shamsuldine Muhammad Hafez. Goethe's 1819 masterpiece 'East-West' was a real bridge between the Arab world and Germany. He realized the importance of communication between nations," he said. He said that Germany is the third largest investor in Saudi Arabia in terms of value and has executed various projects. German exports to Saudi Arabia in 2003 crossed SR12.4 billion while its imports touched SR1.7 billion. Al-Qusaibi said that Saudi Arabia has achieved a lot of success in economic reformation. "Part of our efforts was also focused on ensuring a new investment climate where new consultative and executive authorities were set up for communication and information technology, electricity, water and capital markets, industrial zones, food and pharmaceutical industries," he said. He added that Saudi efforts continue to improve business and investment environment and that the Kingdom relies on a lot of feedback it receives from different countries like Germany. "As in the US, investors in the Kingdom are subject to only 4 procedures of registering property whereas they are subject to 10 procedures in France, 14 in Brazil and 21 in Nigeria. "Our path is long ahead but we have a clear vision that Saudi economy must be more diversified and prosperous and be led by the private sector and to achieve this vision we need support from friends like Germany," Al-Qusaibi said. For his part, Al-Jeraisy said that in the next 15 years, Saudi Arabia will spend about $650 billion on projects servicing citizens and residents of the Kingdom and will open large fields for investments and for which he invited German businessmen to become partners. German investors, by virtue of the new foreign capital investment law, can own and run 100% business ventures in Saudi Arabia and enjoy all the benefits and incentives of Saudi investors. "Germany is the third largest trade partner of Saudi Arabia, which is looking forward to participate in the annual Arab-German Economic and Industrial Forum to be held in Berlin," he said. It will be attended by about 600 Arab and German businessmen. "German exports to Saudi Arabia in 2003 crossed SR12.4 billion while its imports touched SR1.7 billion," he said. Later, Schroeder and Al-Qusaibi witnessed the signing of a joint venture agreement between the National Petrochemical Industrialization Company (NPIC-Tasnee Petrochemical) represented by Mubarak Al-Khafrah, chairman and CEO and Basell Holding Middle East GmbH represented by Dr. Volcker Trautz, president and CEO. Tasnee Petrochemical is a partnership with leading Saudi petrochemical companies of Sahara, and SPICHEM, both of which are based in Jubail. The deal is for the development and implementation of a complex that will comprise a cracker for the production of one million tons per year of ethylene and over 200,000 tons per year of propylene, 400,000 tons of HDPE and 400,000 tons of LDPE per year based on advanced technology from Basell. The total cost of the project is 1.3 billion euros. The Saudi Industrial Fund is being approached for SR800 million, and the Public Investment Fund and commercial banks for the remaining. Other major contracts signed included an agreement between Saudi Detecon Al Saudia, a German Saudi joint venture, and Communication and Information Technology Commission (CITC) in the amount of SR5,823 million for the operation and maintenance of spectrum frequency plants and systems in the Kingdom, according to Abdul Rahman Al-Fehaid, deputy governor of the CITC. Schroeder, Al-Qusaibi and Al-Jeraisy witnessed the signing of the deals. Health Minister Dr. Hamad Al-Manae was also present. Then German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder Riyadh after a 2-day visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He was seen off at Riyadh Airbase by Prince Salman Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Governor of Riyadh region, and a number of senior officials. |
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