February 9, 2007

THE CUSTODIAN OF THE TWO HOLY MOSQUES REVIEWS WITH THE GERMAN CHANCELLOR THE DEVELOPMENTS IN THE PALESTINIAN ISSUE AND THE SITUATION IN IRAQ ALONG WITH OTHER REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ISSUES. CROWN PRINCE SULTAN IBN ABDUL AZIZ STRESSES IN HIS MEETING WITH THE GERMAN CHANCELLOR THE ENDEAVOUR OF SAUDI ARABIA TO ENHANCE BILATERAL COOPERATION. CROWN PRINCE SULTAN: THE POLITICAL VIEWS BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES ARE ALMOST IDENTICAL AS THEY CONDUCE TO JUSTICE AND PRESERVATION OF RIGHTS. MERKEL TO THE CROWN PRINCE: I AM VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE ECONOMIC GROWTH SCORED BY THE KINGDOM IN THE PAST YEARS, WE CAN BUILD ON THAT FOR FURTHER STRENGTHENING THE CURRENT ECONOMIC COOPERATION BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud received at his palace in Riyadh Germany's Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel and her accompanying delegation. King Abdullah chaired the Saudi side to the round of talks held between the two sides. At the outset of the meeting, King Abdullah welcomed Dr. Merkel, wishing her and her accompanying delegation good stay in the kingdom. On her part, the German Chancellor thanked the monarch for the warm welcome and generous hospitality. Then they discussed the overall incidents and developments at the regional and international arenas, led by the Palestinian issue and situation in Iraq as well as aspects of cooperation between the two countries and ways of enhancing them in a way that serves the interests of the kingdom and Germany and their peoples. On the Saudi side, the session was attended by Prince Saud Al-Faisal, minister of foreign affairs; Prince Miqren Ibn Abdul Aziz, Chief of General Intelligence; Dr. Musaed Bin Mohammed Al-Aiban, Minister of State and Member of the Cabinet who is also accompanying minister of the visiting delegation; Dr. Osama Shobokshi, Saudi Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany; and Adel Bin Ahmed Al Jubeir, Saudi Ambassador-designate to the United States of America. Merkel's official accompanying delegation also attended the session. Germany's Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel and the accompanying delegation arrived on a visit to the kingdom. At Riyadh airbase airport, they were received by Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Premier, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General; Prince Miteb Ibn Abdul Aziz, Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs; a number of princes; ministers and officials. Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Premier, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General, held a dinner party at his palace in Riyadh in honour of the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany Angela Merkel and her accompanying delegation. The function was attended by Prince Miteb Ibn Abdul Aziz, Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs; Prince Abdullah Bin Mohammed Ibn Abdul Aziz Al Saud; Prince Salman Ibn Abdul Aziz, Governor of Riyadh region; Prince Sattam Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Governor of Riyadh region; Prince Ahmed Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Minister of Interior; other princes and senior civil and military officials. Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Premier, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General, and visiting Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany Angela Merkel held a meeting at the Crown Prince's palace in Riyadh. At the outset of the meeting, Crown Prince Sultan welcomed Dr. Merkel, wishing her and the accompanying delegation good stay in the kingdom. He said the visit comes amid troubled international circumstances that need some kind of cooperation among free countries like Saudi Arabia and Germany. He described the cooperation between Riyadh and Berlin as good and he hoped for more cooperation, particularly in the economic and cultural aspects. He hinted to the military cooperation between the two countries. Prince Sultan called for the set up of joint ventures, joint industries and exchange of business visits. The Crown Prince said he hoped for two sides reaching agreements of cooperation soon. Crown Prince Sultan said the political views between the two countries are almost identical as they conduce to justice and preservation of rights. On her part, Dr. Merkel thanked the Crown Prince for the generous hospitality accorded to her and the accompanying delegation. She appreciated the existing deep-rooted cooperation between the two countries in a number of fields and diversified areas. She called for more close cohesion and cooperation between the two countries. She said she is very impressed of the economic growth scored by the kingdom in the past years. We can build on that for further strengthening the current economic cooperation between the two countries, she said. Then the two sides discussed the latest developments at the international arena, the situation in the Palestinian territories and the international efforts exerted to bring about peace in the region, noting that Germany is currently holding the rotating presidency of the European Union. Also discussed were the developments in Iraq and aspects of cooperation between the Saudi Arabia and Germany and ways of enhancing them in all fields. The function was attended by Prince Abdul Rahman Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General; Prince Mit'eb Ibn Abdul Aziz, Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs; Dr. Musaed Bin Hamad Al-Aiban, Minister of State and member of the Cabinet, who is also accompanying minister of the visiting delegation; Osama Shobokshi, Saudi Ambassador to Germany and senior protocol officials. Merkel's accompanying official delegation also attended the meeting. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has underscored the importance of the talks she had conducted in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In a statement to the first channel of the German television, Merkel said the political views of the Saudi government on developments in the region are highly respected at the international arena. She noted that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has a positive influence on the process of bringing about peace in the region. 'The Kingdom has influence on the conflicting parties, notably the Palestinian and Lebanese parties," she noted. 'During my meeting with the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, I have felt his keenness on bringing about a just peace in the region', Merkel said. She noted that the international efforts in this respect would never be culminated into success unless the us presents an initiative to take positive steps. The German Chancellor emphasized the existence of strong cooperation between Europe and Washington to revive the road map. 'Due to their strong relations with the Arab parties and their relationship with Iran, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are capable of playing a pioneering role in bringing about peace in the entire region," she concluded. In Riyadh Dr. Saleh bin Abdullah bin Humaid, the Chairman of Shoura (consultative) Council, met at his office the German delegation accompanying the German Chancellor Angela Merkel. During the meeting, they discussed a number of topics of mutual concern and ways of enhancing the bilateral relations between the two countries particularly in the field of parliamentary works. Also the Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council Abdul Rahman Bin Hamad Al-Atiyyah held talks with visiting Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany Angela Merkel at her guest residence in Riyadh. During the meeting, Al-Atiyyah discussed with Merkel, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the European Union (EU), the relations binding the GCC member countries and Germany, in particular, and the relations between the GCC member countries and the EU in general. Al-Atiyyah expressed wish to expedite the pace of negotiations between the two sides to reach a free trade agreement. In remarks to the press following the meeting, he said the German Chancellor also discussed with him the current political situations, particularly the Palestinian issue, the situation in Lebanon and developments in Iraq. He said Merkel underscored during the meeting the importance of activating the peace process through the international efforts, particularly the Quartet committee based on the road map, international legitimacy resolutions and Arab Peace Initiative and forming a Palestinian national unity government. The Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General Abdul Rahman Al-Attiyah said that the Gulf countries are in favor of the establishment of a national unity government in Palestine. "Such an initiative would speed up the peace process," he said. Speaking to reporters from the GCC headquarters in Riyadh, Al-Attiyah said that during his discussions with visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel he called for a greater role of the European Union to persuade Israel to adhere to international resolutions. "There are many peace initiatives that have been proposed, but what is most important is that Israel respond to such proposals," he said. "This was one of the things Merkel and I agreed on." He said Merkel had shared his hopes that the groups would "put forward the supreme national interests of the Palestinian people." He said he was hopeful that the Palestinian groups would reach an agreement to form a unified national government that would deal with the situation on the ground and adhere to international resolutions. Merkel said Germany, as the current European Union president, would throw its weight behind the reconciliation talks in Makkah. "We will do everything in our power to ensure the talks are successful," Merkel said, adding the EU would stay in close contact with Saudi Arabia. The GCC Secretary-General conveyed to the German Chancellor the worries of the Gulf countries on the situation in Iraq. "Merkel expressed her country's deep concern over the Iraq situation. She also expressed her worries about any foreign interference in Iraqi domestic issues, saying that such moves would be disastrous," Al-Attiyah said. President Mubarak met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel who arrived earlier in Cairo on a two day visit on the first leg of a tour to many countries of the region. Talks focused on current developments in the region, mainly Palestine, Iraq, Lebanon, Darfur, Somalia and the Iranian nuclear file. They also discussed ways of cementing Egyptian German relations in the economic field and attracting German investments to Egypt. Following their talks, Mubarak and Merkel held a press conference in which they said talks tackled a wide range of regional and international issues, the role of European Union in reactivating Middle East peace process as Germany is the Chairman of the current session of the European Union. At their press conference, President Mubarak and Chancellor Merkel stressed the importance of shoring up the peace process. Merkel hailed the Egyptian efforts for urging Palestinian partners to form a national unity government. President Mubarak welcomed Merkel and voiced appreciation of their useful and constructive talks. Mubarak said that their talks were held in as positive atmosphere that reflected the strength of Egyptian-German relations. Merkel's first visit to Egypt comes at part of continued consultations between the two countries on regional and international issues of mutual concern, Mubarak added. "Today's talks dwelt on the situation in the Middle East and bilateral relations in the fields of trade, investment and tourism, in addition to cultural, scientific and academic cooperation", Mubarak said. He added that he highly appreciated Merkel's efforts as regards the Mideast issues, since Germany held the rotating presidency of the EU. For her part, the German Chancellor appreciated Egypt's role to establish peace in the Middle East. She also lauded Egyptian cooperation with the Quartet members. Merkel said that the meeting with President Mubarak addressed the Iranian nuclear file, developments in Sudan's western Darfur region and the situation in Lebanon. I agreed with President Mubarak on the importance of supporting peace powers in the region, Merkel said, adding that Egypt was playing an important role in this respect by supporting the Palestinian Authority. Merkel affirmed the strength of German-Egyptian relations describing them as excellent. The German Chancellor said that talks with Mubarak also dwelt on efforts of Germany, to boost peace in the Middle East. She stressed that Egypt and Germany were having distinguished ties in the different fields. The German Chancellor said Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif briefed her on the status of the Egyptian economy. Egypt and Germany held an economic forum in which the German Economics Minister took part. She said that Germany maintains cooperation with Egypt in the field of advanced technology, science, and education. Merkel voiced hope her country would be able to enhance Euro-Med dialogue and to support the Barcelona process. The German Chancellor said that her accompanying delegation comprised a number of businessmen. A meeting between Egyptian businessmen and their German counterparts was been arranged for exploring investment opportunities. Talks also took up economic reform measures taken by the Egyptian government, said Merkel, adding that her country would work on increasing Egyptian exports to the EU markets. Merkel also stressed the importance of promoting cooperation between Egypt and Germany in the scientific field, particularly in teaching and training youths. Germany is ready to cooperate with Egypt in such a domain in light of the presence of the German University in Cairo (GUC), said Merkel. Replying to a question on Iran's nuclear programme, President Mubarak said that the issue was on the agenda of the UN Security Council, adding that the United States and the European countries did not want more nuclear powers in the region. "Egypt has always called for rendering the Middle East region free from weapons of mass destruction; including nuclear, chemical and biological weapons," said Mubarak. Mubarak voiced hope that the Iranian issue would be settled peacefully. Asked about the possibility of pushing forward the Middle East peace process in future, Mubarak said that the Middle East issue was a complicated one, adding that "going back to 1948, one would realize that a spate of problems were involved". "So far, efforts exerted were aimed at establishing peace in the region and solving the problem between the Palestinians and Israelis," said Mubarak, adding that, however, there was a problem now among the Palestinian factions themselves. The Palestinian side could not sit down with the Israelis on the negotiating table while there is an inter-Palestinian dispute, said Mubarak. He added that the Egyptian side was currently working on healing the rift between the two Palestinian factions; Fatah and Hamas, and the Palestinian Authority. Palestinian-Israeli negotiations were conditional on the release of the captured Israeli soldier and Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, said Mubarak. "At the same time, we are working on forming a Palestinian national unity government, which is about to come to being," he added. "We are exerting our utmost effort in this respect in cooperation with regional powers, Europe and the United States," he noted. There is no issue in the Middle East region that could be solved by one country said Mubarak, adding that there should be Arab- European-US cooperation to settle the ME problems. All differences required cooperation among all intentional parties to settle them, said Mubarak. Asked if there was a strategy to settle the Middle East conflict, the German Chancellor said that such a matter featured high at the Quartet Committee meetings. Merkel stressed the importance of economic development in the Palestinian areas, deeming it a vital step. Towards achieving this target, the three Quartet benchmarks; recognition of Israel, renouncing violence and acceptance of previous agreements, should be respected, said Merkel. These are the conditions set by the Quartet to help the Palestinian people, said Merkel, stressing that Egyptian efforts aiming at settling the Palestinian question were indispensable. She further underlined the importance of the European Union and the Quartet support for the Egyptian efforts. Replying to a question on European efforts to maintain stability in the region, particularly in Palestine, Somalia and Iraq, the German Chancellor said that stability could not be achieved without the United States' cooperation. The European Union economically has backed the Palestinian areas for several years, said Merkel, voicing the EU commitment to continue support of the Palestinians. Germany, through its presidency of the European Union, could not act in isolation, said Merkel, stressing the need to rally all efforts to solve the Palestinian dilemma. The crux of the Palestinian cause was the lack of confidence, said Merkel, adding that without trusting one another, there will be no hope in a better future. She also expressed the EU readiness to help in improving the conditions in the Palestinian areas on condition of acknowledging Israel's right to exist. Shifting to the Lebanese issue, the German Chancellor said that the EU members offered aid to Lebanon in Paris-3 conference. She added that Germany also backed the UN Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL) in the south. The German contingent was working on thwarting attempts to smuggle weapons into Lebanon via Syria in accordance with Lebanon's sovereignty, Merkel said. As for the problem of the western Sudanese region of Darfur, Merkel said that the EU was cooperating with the African Union to solve the matter. President Mubarak hosted a dinner banquet in honour of the German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her accompanying delegation. Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif held official talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Nazif and Merkel held a tête-à-tête session of talks that was followed by a plenary session attended by members of the Egyptian and German delegations. Talks between the two sides covered the latest developments in the Middle East and efforts exerted to revive the Palestinian- Israeli peace process and ways to promote economic and trade cooperation between the two countries. Nazif and the German Chancellor reviewed ways to promote cooperation in the economic and trade domains between Egypt and Germany. Cabinet Spokesman Magdi Radi told reporters that Nazif reviewed during his talks with Merkel political, economic and social reform programmes in Egypt, pointing out that Merkel was keen to listen to the details of Egypt's experiment in the field of reform and plans for improving the investment atmosphere in Egypt. Radi said that trade exchange between Germany and Egypt increased by 215 per cent over the past couple of years to reach $ 2.4 billion. Radi said Nazif and Merkel discussed ways to promote cooperation in the tourist domain especially that the number of German tourists represented a large percentage of the size of tourism in Egypt, pointing out to more than one million Germans coming to Egypt every year. Talks covered making use of Germany's expertise in the field of technology and car industry, he said. The two sides agreed on promoting Egyptian-European and Mediterranean relations, especially in light of Germany's current chairmanship of the European Union, he added. They probed Germany's support for Egypt in the Europe Neighborhood policy agreement with Egypt which is expected to be signed in Brussels in March, he said. Nazif and Merkel are expected to co-chair an Egyptian-German Economic forum to be organized by the Ministry of Trade and Industry in cooperation with the German-Arab Chamber of Industry in the presence of 70 German businessmen accompanying Merkel. They will meet with their Egyptian counterparts for talks on cooperation in the field of investment, he pointed out. Session of talks was attended by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, State for International Cooperation, Trade and Industry and Egypt's ambassador in Berlin. On his part, Eng. Rasheed Mohamed Rasheed, the Minister of Trade and Industry said Nazif and Merkel meeting touched on relations in the field of economy and ways of boosting trade exchange between Egypt and Germany. He said an agreement was reached on expanding cooperation in the implementation of projects discussed during Mubarak's visit to Germany such as car components, substitute energy, vocational and industrial training. They also discussed ways of developing German investments in Egypt in the upcoming stage. Arab League (AL) Secretary General Amr Moussa reiterated the importance of forming a national unity government to solve the current crisis in the Palestinian lands. Moussa made the remarks in a statement after meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Cairo on her four-day trip to the Middle East. "I thought the Palestinians would not fall in this big 'bump' that could destroy their case and their future, but as long as they have fallen into it, Egyptian, Saudi and all efforts are required," Moussa said. On the stalled Middle East peace process, Moussa said that it's necessary to achieve a comprehensive peace and justice between Israel and the Palestinians, calling for sincere steps to be taken to build up mutual confidence. The AL chief noted that he and Merkel, reviewed the situation in the Palestinian territories and Lebanon during their meeting. The German chancellor also briefed him the results of the latest Quartet meeting that took place in Washington, Moussa said. The Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Sheikh Mohamed Sayed Tantawi received German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who invited him to visit Germany to have a constructive dialogue with Muslim and Christian clergymen there. She said it would be for the sake of humankind. Merkel's invitation came during a meeting with Tantawi at Al-Azhar headquarters at the end of her two-day visit to Egypt. Tantawi and Merkel asserted the importance of continuing with dialogue between the East and the West civilizations and the various religions in order to call for spreading peace and refraining from violence and terror. Merkel praised the role played by Al-Azhar in spreading religion and moderate thought and avoiding any violence. She pointed out to the importance of cooperation between Egypt and Germany and Egypt and the European Union in the various domains. Tantawi reiterated Al-Azhar's adherence to dialogue with other religions in order to improve the image of Islam and explain the religion's true teachings. He asserted to Merkel that Jihad in Islam is only for self-defence and lifting injustice. German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrived in Abu Dhabi on a state visit to the UAE. Merkel was received at the airport by Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid Al Qasimi, Minister of Economy. President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan held talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Sheikh Khalifa and Chancellor Merkel conferred on a number of current issues in the region, particulary issues concerning Palestine, Iraq and Lebanon. In this context, Chancellor Merkel briefed Sheikh Khalifa about some new ideas that Germany wants to present during its presidency of the European Union to break the current impasse in the Middle East peace process. On bilateral relations, Sheikh Khalifa told Chancellor Merkel that the UAE was keen to strengthen its economic cooperation with Germany, noting that the two countries are endowed with potentials that should be translated into an enduring and mutually beneficial partnership. "The UAE-German relations have developed significantly in recent years, thanks to bilateral cooperation agreements signed in various fields", said Sheikh Khalifa, citing the role of visits exchanged by officials from both sides. For her part, Chancellor Merkel said she was pleased about her visit and her subsequent meeting with the UAE President, She expressed her hope that the visit would broaden the scope of cooperation between the two countries, particularly in the areas of trade and investments. "My visit to the UAE is of great importance to Germany and the European Union. This is so because the UAE is both a political and economic power in the region. It is also one of the most important regional trade partners for German", she said. The meeting was attended by Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister in addition to a number of senior officials on both sides. Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister received German Chancellor Angela Merkel. As he welcomed Chancellor Merkel , Sheikh Hamdan expressed his hope that the Chancellor's visit would help broaden the scope of cooperation between the UAE and Germany, particularly in the areas of trade, investment and education. "Exchange of visits at the official levels is central to enhancing cooperation in various areas", said Sheikh Hamdan. For her part, Chancellor Merkel lauded the achievements made by the UAE under the leadership of President H.H Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. "Germany is keen to explore further opportunities for joint investment in the UAE. The UAE is known for its liberal economic policies and openness to the outside world", she said The UAE, she said, is of great importance to Germany and the European Union. It is also one of the most important regional trade partners for Germany, she added. In presence of Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, Mubadala Development Company, and investment and development vehicle wholly owned by the Government of the Emirates of Abu Dhabi, has signed a contract with Siemens Medical Solutions to build and operate a specialist Molecular Imaging Center (MIC) in Abu Dhabi to include the Siemens PET CT (Positron Emission Tomography - Computed Tomography) diagnostic system and the Cyclotron radioisotope delivery system. The contract was signed by Waleed Al Mokarrab Al Muhairi, Chief Operating Officer, for Mubadala and Peter Fuchs, Chief Executive Officer, Siemens LLC. In Kuwait the Emir Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah recived the German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah held official talks with German Chancellor. Following the talks, the prime minister and Merkel held a news conference, during which the two sides affirmed keenness on bolstering bilateral relations and mutual cooperation in various domains. They confirmed that the talks dealt with regional and international issues of common concern, namely conditions in Iraq, the Palestinian cause and plans for establishing peace in the Middle East. The Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah described Kuwait's relations with Germany as strong and deeply-rooted. Sheikh Nasser was speaking to reporters during the joint press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who arrived in Kuwait for an official visit. Sheikh Nasser stressed that Kuwait's relations with Germany were "special at all levels." He said his talks with Merkel focused on several issues, including that of a free trade zone between the Gulf Cooperation Council and the European Union. He expressed hope that the free zone agreement would be signed soon. He added that Merkel was invited to visit Kuwait in her capacity as German chancellor not in her other capacity of the current head of the EU. The Prime Minister told reporters that the issues of the unrest in the Middle East as a whole and unrest in Lebanon, Iraq and the Palestinian territories were high on the agenda of his talks with Merkel. He called on Iran, "Kuwait's neighbour," to hold unconditional talks "for the sake of peace in the area," and underlined the importance of conducting further talks with the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Mohammad Al-Baradei. Sheikh Nasser called for achieving national reconciliation in Iraq. In answer to a question on Lebanon, he said it was a country "dear to the hearts of everyone." He expressed hope of calm and prosperity to be restored to that country. For her part, Merkel said "the door remained open for Iran" to resume negotiations and find a way out of its current impasse. She indicated that there was no flexibility in Iran's attitude last year." She urged Tehran to "respect international laws, specifically UN Resolution 1737, dealing with the Iranian nuclear arms arsenal and to adopt a transparent attitude in this connection." She said there was still a chance that Iran would be the target of sanctions by the UN Security Council, adding that even after such sanctions are imposed on Iran, the door of further negotiations would still be open. Merkel, who arrived in Kuwait on the last leg of her four-day tour of Arab nations, said a military option against Iran was out of the question. Iran faces a February 21 deadline to suspend its uranium enrichment program failing which sanctions are likely to be implemented in line with a UN Security Council resolution. She said she had seen positive results in her efforts to urge Arab nations to form a united alliance to pursue peace in the region. She expressed hope that the current talks, hosted by Saudi Arabia, between Hamas and Fatah, would avert further unrest among the Palestinians. Merkel's Middle East tour is meant to revitalize the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. The Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah held Tuesday a luncheon honoring the visiting EU Chairperson and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. German Chancellor Angela Merkel departed the State of Kuwait ending a one-day official visit.