Scholz wants to develop energy sources in Qatar and the Emirates

Created: 09/25/2022, 05:12

Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) is received at Abu Dhabi Airport by the United Arab Emirates Minister for Climate Change and Environment, Mariam bint Mohammed Saeed Hareb Almheiri.

© Kay Nietfeld/dpa

Economics Minister Habeck traveled to the Gulf region in search of a substitute for Russian gas.

So far, his efforts have not paid off.

Now the Chancellor is trying it personally.

Abu Dhabi – On the second day of his trip to the Arabian Peninsula, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) will visit the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar on Sunday.

The focus will be on further cooperation in the energy sector, which should make it easier for Germany to break the dependency on Russian gas.

Qatar has the third largest gas reserves in the world after Russia and Iran and is the leading exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG).

The UAE ranks sixth in oil and seventh in natural gas.

But Scholz is also concerned with cooperation in the production of hydrogen.

A joint declaration is to be signed with the Emirates during the visit, with which the energy partnership is to be expanded to include climate protection aspects in particular.

It is also expected that liquid gas deliveries will be agreed there.

Economics Minister Robert Habeck had already announced this a few days ago.

The Green politician was in the Gulf region himself in March to pave the way for gas supplies.

So far, however, this has not resulted in concrete agreements.

Is the World Cup in Qatar in good hands?

No contracts are expected in Qatar.

The Chancellor's talks in Doha could also be about the soccer World Cup, which will take place in the emirate from November 20th.

The choice of the venue is controversial because of the human rights situation there.

Qatar is repeatedly criticized for systematic violations and the exploitation of migrants.

The government has denied the allegations and is citing pro-worker reforms.

National coach Hansi Flick had criticized the awarding of the World Cup to Qatar just a few days ago.

“This question should have been answered much earlier.

And with a no,” he told the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”.

"It's obvious that there's a lot that's wrong in Qatar when it comes to human rights and sustainability."

Scholz spoke to the Saudi crown prince about the Khashoggi murder

Scholz started his two-day trip to the Arabian Peninsula in Saudi Arabia on Saturday and met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman there.

He also addressed the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

"All questions" relating to civil and human rights had been "discussed," he said after the conversation in the port city of Jeddah in response to a journalist's question.

"That's how it should be.

And you can be sure that nothing that needs to be said has gone unanswered.”

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The crown prince is held responsible by the US secret service for the brutal murder of the Saudi government critic and journalist Khashoggi in the Saudi Consulate General in Istanbul four years ago.

The heir to the throne denies being the mastermind.

The murder had led to Mohammed's international isolation and plunged German-Saudi relations into a crisis that lasted for years.

Welcome to the Palace of Peace with a friendly smile

The Crown Prince and the Chancellor greeted each other in the Royal Palace of Peace (Al-Salam Palace) with a strong handshake and a friendly smile.

With his visit, Scholz sets a sign of normalization.

France's President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has since resigned, and US President Joe Biden were Germany's most important allies in Saudi Arabia before him.

In July, the Crown Prince traveled to the EU for official meetings for the first time since the murder.

Scholz builds on this and wants to pick up the thread of the conversation again with a view to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and its consequences.

For him, it's about staying in dialogue with difficult partners so as not to lose them to countries like Russia or China.

Biden was more explicit than Scholz

Biden also asked the crown prince about the murder of Khashoggi during his visit to Jeddah in July.

He then became clearer about the Crown Prince's responsibility for the murder.

“He (Mohammed) was basically saying that he wasn't personally responsible for it.

I indicated that I think he is," Biden said at the time.

dpa