UAE minister embarks on 'virtual visit' of Germany to boost ties

Dr Sultan Al Jaber discussed the state of the global economy and both countries' response to Covid-19

Dr Sultan Al Jaber met a range of parliamentarians and officials to discuss ties, the global economy and the response to Covid-19. Wam

A Cabinet minister embarked on a 'virtual visit' of Berlin, meeting top officials to discuss ties and the response to Covid-19.

Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of State and UAE’s Special Envoy to Germany, spoke with politicians and officials via video link.

The meetings focused on ways to enhance UAE-German co-operation, including the exchange of best practice from both countries' response to the Covid-19 outbreak.

Discussions also involved the state of the global economy and energy markets, technology and AI, and other areas, state news agency Wam reported.

Dr Al Jaber held talks with Niels Annen, Minister of State at the German Federal Foreign Office, Dr Jan Hecker, Foreign Policy and Security Adviser to Chancellor Angela Merkel, and Thomas Opperman, Vice President of the German Bundestag, among others.The spread of coronavirus has led to travel restrictions worldwide, making business and diplomatic travel and taking many relationships and deals online.

"We are committed to ensuring the continuity of the close co-operation we have with our German counterparts, and to increasing our engagements in our collective fight against Covid-19," he said.

"While global lockdown measures have imposed a number of temporary travel restrictions, we will continue to use this virtual format to maintain our close and high-level exchanges."

Germany is the UAE’s largest European trading partner and accounts for almost 22 per cent of all trade between Berlin and the Arab world, figures from last year show.

Non-oil trade between the UAE and Germany rose 60 per cent from 2010 to 2017, reaching $13.45 billion (Dh49.4bn) by the end of that period, government data shows.

Several of Germany's biggest companies have a presence in the UAE, including manufacturing conglomerate Siemens, chemicals giant BASF and oil and gas producer Wintershall.