The Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the State of Qatar Lothar Freischlader said the visit of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani to Germany contributes to a further strengthening of the bilateral ties between the two countries, that are already strong and trustful.
Speaking to Qatar News Agency (QNA), Freischlader said His Highness the Amir's visit is a great continuation of mutual visits on the highest level; the most recent ones occurred in October 2023, when His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani visited Berlin. The President of the Federal Republic of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier also visited Doha in November 2023. All these visits reflect the intensity of the high-level relationship with over five decades of fruitful and trustful collaboration.
On the key agreements or partnerships expected to emerge from this visit, Freischlader believed that ties between Qatar and Germany will further deepen, noting: "We already have a good number of agreements, for instance the partnership on energy or our strategic dialogue. But I can assure, that both countries maintain already excellent economic ties."
"Trade and investments play an ever-stronger role. Qatar is the third-largest trading partner for Germany in the Gulf region. The bilateral trade volume accumulated to a total of 1.8 billion euros in 2023 (thereof 1.3 billion euros German exports). Qatar holds 17% in Volkswagen, 9% in RWE, 6% in Siemens, over 6% in Deutsche Bank, 9% in CureVac to name the most important. Altogether Qatar has invested in Germany with 25 to 30 billion euros," Freischlader continued.
"It would be great if Qatar would consider investments also in the climate sector, e.g. green hydrogen. Qatar is a major, global energy supplier and if a player like this would undertake such an important step, that would be of great significance," he added.
"Together with the German Industry and Commerce Office (AHK), the German Business Council Qatar (GBCQ) and the German Association of small and medium-sized businesses (BVMW) we are working towards the same goal: to further deepen German-Qatari business relations. They are already strong and resilient, but we believe that they have great potential to grow further," Freischlader noted.
With regard to new cultural or academic initiatives to enhance bilateral cooperation, HE the German Ambassador praised the attention the Qatari government and the Qatari citizens pay to first-class education. He said that the Qatari government is investing significantly in education, research and innovation, for example by establishing first-class universities in Doha.
Institutions such as Qatar University and Qatar Foundation lead various scientific initiatives. Germany also has an excellent educational and academic environment to offer.
"Therefore, it is a matter of great importance for us to deepen our cooperation with Qatar in the area of higher education, science and research. We are currently working on agreement about scholarships with Qatar. And we will also contribute to the European Jazz Festival in December in partnership with Katara," Freischlader said.
Speaking about Qatar and Germany's plans to align their efforts on regional stability and global challenges, such as climate change, Freischlader said: "As for regional stability, the three pillars of our engagement are: intensive diplomacy, extensive humanitarian assistance via international organisations like the United Nations, and bilateral support in the region."
"We fully support the mediation efforts by Qatar, Egypt and the United States in order to reach the urgently needed ceasefire in Gaza and now also in Lebanon. We sincerely thank Qatar for their hard work around the clock and their commitment," he added.
He mentioned that the German Government has increased the humanitarian support for the civilians in Gaza by almost 290 million euros since October 2023 to a total of around 360 million euros, noting that Germany remains one of the largest humanitarian donors to the Palestinian territories.
Freischlader emphasised that Germany is working tirelessly through its diplomatic channels and behind the scenes to help reaching an agreement that stops the war and all attacks to reach safety on all sides, end the horrible suffering in Gaza and now Lebanon and frees all hostages; adding: "We are fully committed to a two-state-solution, as this is the only sustainable way for peace, and ready for a further engagement with Qatar in this regard."
In terms of the climate crisis, Freischlader said: "This is the greatest challenge of our time. The next 6 years will decide whether we will be able to limit the destructive effects of the climate crisis and stay on the 1.5 degrees pathway or not. The time window for actions to secure a livable and sustainable future for all is rapidly closing. Therefore, the choices we make now and will make in the next few years, will play a critical role in deciding the future of our planet and the generations to come."
"Germany of course recognizes its responsibility. That is why we committed ourselves to be climate neutral by 2045. But no country will contain the climate crisis alone, but every country will suffer its consequences. The climate crisis is a global problem and therefore we need global solutions. This is why international cooperation is so essential. And Qatar is an important player. It is not only a major producer of LNG with newest emission reduction methods, that plays an important role in the phase-out of coal. It is also a leading country for new technology adaptation and innovation," Freischlader said.
He stressed the great importance to further deepen bilateral cooperation between Qatar and Germany in the area of climate change in order to join forces, adding: "We will therefore continue to conduct our Doha Climate Talks, that had their premiere most recently at the Qatar National Dialogue on Climate Change, where the German Embassy in Doha was official partner. And we are also looking for further engagements with important institutions such as the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change and Earthna, in order to foster climate related dialogue and cooperation between our governments, economies and research communities."
"For us, climate action is not only absolutely vital to limit the destructive effects of the climate crisis, but also an important bridge in an increasingly multi-polar global landscape, that can help to find common ground and unify the forces of our time," Freischlader conlcuded.
The Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the State of Qatar Lothar Freischlader
