(MENAFN - Arab News) Prince Saud Al-Faisal, minister of foreign affairs, will hold talks in Riyadh today with German counterpart Guido Westerwelle on a range of key bilateral, regional and international issues.
The German minister arrived in the capital on Saturday evening after a hectic trip to Yemen, where he met with new Yemeni President Abed Raboo Mansur Hadi and Yemeni Foreign Minister Abu Bakr Al-Kirby to assess the situation in the country and the region at large.
"The visit of Foreign Minister Westerwelle to Riyadh is significant because it is taking place immediately before a special meeting of the United Nations Security Council to be held in New York on March 12 on the repercussions of the Arab Spring," said German Ambassador Dieter W. Haller.
He said Berlin values the "pivotal role" of the Kingdom in securing peace and stability in the Middle East very much. Haller said the German foreign minister would discuss with Prince Saud a range of bilateral, regional and international issues.
He added that Westerwelle would also hold talks with Defense Minister Prince Salman and Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Abdullatif Al-Zayani.
Westerwelle's official visit to Riyadh will be followed by the high-profile business visit of German Transport Minister Peter Ramsauer, who will arrive in the Saudi capital on Monday with a high-ranking business delegation," said the German diplomat.
Several business meetings including a reception in honor of German minister of Transport, Building and Urban Development Ramsauer have been planned in Riyadh, said Andreas Hergenroether, delegate of the German Industry and Commerce Chamber in Saudi Arabia. A number of Saudi and German business leaders will meet with the German business delegation, which will stay for four days from Monday onward.
Referring to the visit of the two German ministers to Riyadh this week, Haller expressed confidence the two-day visit of Westerwelle would add further momentum to bilateral relations in all fields. On a commercial front, the relations between Riyadh and Berlin are progressively growing, the envoy noted. In 2011, bilateral trade amounted to SR65 billion with considerable potential for increase, he added.
Haller said the German minister for transport will further boost commercial ties. "This is another welcome evidence of the firm determination of both our governments and our private sectors to deepen our partnership," said Haller, while giving an overview of political and commercial relations between the two countries. A German business delegation recently wrapped up its visit to the Kingdom.
