German Federal President kicked off a three-day tour of the Middle East on Monday in which he will meet with the leaders of , and .
The trip will primarily focus on the shifting security situation in , where longtime ruler was recently ousted by after nearly 14 years of civil war, as well as the current state of affairs in . Humanitarian assistance for both Syria and Gaza are to be discussed in this context.
‘s weakened position in the region and changes in US foreign policy under President are expected to be addressed as well.
The trip was initially planned to take place in November but was postponed due to the pending collapse of Germany’s ruling center-left coalition.
First official visit of a German head of state in Saudi Arabia
Steinmeier touched down in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Monday morning and is scheduled to meet with the kingdom’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, later in the day.
Steinmeier’s office posted the president’s travel itinerary on the social media platform X and made note of the fact that he is the first head of state ever to be honored with an official state visit.
While in Riyadh, Steinmeier is expected to hold talks with representatives from various Saudi think tanks as well as visiting an arts center.
Off to Jordan on Tuesday
Steinmeier will depart for Jordan on Tuesday, where he will visit German service men and women at al-Azraq airbase, where Bundeswehr soldiers are stationed in the international fight against Islamic State (IS) terrorists.
Jordan, which directly borders both Syria and Israel, is home to 2.39 million Palestinians and according to the UN refugee agency UNHCR, hosts the world’s second-largest number of refugees per capita. Most of the 730,000 refugees officially registered with the UNHCR are displaced Syrians.
Steinmeier is scheduled to meet with Jordan’s King Abdullah II on Wednesday before departing for Turkey.
Steinmeier to outline German interests to potentially skeptical partners
Steinmeier will wrap up his trip with a , where he will hold talks with President on Wednesday evening.
Turkey, which is currently home to some 3.2 million Syrian refugees, has seen its influence in the region rise with the fall of Assad, and Steinmeier is expected to discuss plans to stabilize the war-torn nation with Erdogan.
Steinmeier’s office says the president will clearly articulate German interests in the region during his trip. He may, however, face skepticism in talks as many Arab countries seem to have lost faith in Germany as an honest broker in the region due to Berlin’s steadfast support for .
Historically, Germany has been an ally to the Palestinian cause and an advocate for a two-state solution for Palestinian statehood as well as providing massive development aid to the region, but its unflinching support for Israel’s right to defend itself in response to a brutal October 7, 2023, attack carried out by — who killed some 1,200 people and kidnapped nearly 250 — has caused consternation among regional partners.
In pursuing the eradication of Hamas — which Germany, the US, EU and others consider to be terrorists — Israel’s military has devastated the Gaza Strip, displacing 1.9 million of the enclave’s 2.2 million Palestinian residents according to the UN, and killing 46,600 more according to the Hamas-controlled Palestinian Health Ministry.
js/rm (AFP, dpa)
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