Foreign
GERMAN Foreign Minister, Annalena Baerbock will hold talks with Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah on Monday.
The talks are to focus on regional issues, including crisis management in Sudan and Yemen, Saudi Arabia’s southern neighbour, a German Foreign Ministry spokesman said.
Baerbock who is on a three-day trip to Gulf region would also meet with Yemeni Foreign Minister Ahmed bin Mubarak in Jeddah on Tuesday, and also with UN coordinator for Yemen David Gressly.
Among foreign policy issues on the agenda were the normalisation of relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, and Syria’s return to the Arab League earlier this month following suspension in November 2011.
The league is due to meet in Jeddah on Friday, with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad invited to attend.
The German foreign minister is also expected to discuss energy issues with Saudi Arabia as a leading member of the oil cartel David Gressly. and a swing producer of crude.
In moving away from reliance on fossil fuels, the country was also seen as a potential producer of hydrogen from solar energy.
Human rights issues were expected to come up when Baerbock speaks to representatives of civil society on Monday.
Meanwhile, Baerbock would meet Qatari President Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Doha on Tuesday afternoon.
Al Thani also served as foreign minister.
A meeting with representatives of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) was planned, at which workers’ rights would be discussed.
Qatar came in for severe criticism for its treatment of foreign workers while preparing for the 2022 Football World Cup. (dpa/NAN)
Tags: Annalena Baerbock
