Agency Report –
Berlin – German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier begins a three-day visit to the Middle East on Monday, primarily to gather information on the developments in the region, particularly following the overthrow of the regime in Syria, his office has said.
On Monday, he plans to meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the country’s de facto ruler, in Riyadh.
The visit was initially supposed to take place in November, but Steinmeier postponed it at short notice due to the uncertain situation following the failure of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s centre-left coalition in Berlin.
From Saudi Arabia, the German president plans to fly to Jordan on Tuesday, where he is due to visit members of the German military at the al-Azraq airbase. The Bundeswehr is involved in the international mission based out of Jordan that is combating the terrorist militia Islamic State.
A meeting with Jordan’s King Abdullah II is also planned. Jordan is a direct neighbour of Syria.
In Turkey, Steinmeier plans to discuss the situation in Syria with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Wednesday evening, concluding his trip.
The ousting of Syria’s long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad by a rebel alliance led by Islamists significantly increases Turkey’s influence in the region.
In addition to the new situation in Syria, where Germany, alongside its European partners, aims to contribute to stabilization, the Gaza conflict is expected to be a key topic.
The discussions are also expected to address the role of the weakened regional power Iran and the stance of the new US administration of President Donald Trump in the Middle East.
According to his office, Steinmeier intends to articulate clearly Germany’s interests in light of the upheavals in the Middle East.
In the Arab world, Germany has significantly lost prestige due to its firm support for Israel following the massacre by the Palestinian militant organization Hamas and other extremist groups on October 7, 2023.
By Ulrich Steinkohl
