Markus Söder has called for Germany to become more visibly involved in security cooperation with Qatar. After meeting Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Doha, the Bavarian premier said Germany should at least establish a presence in the Gulf state. He suggested a visit by the Federal Ministry of Defence and possibly technical personnel to assist with training, while saying he was not proposing the deployment of troops.
Söder pointed to Britain and France as countries that had already taken similar steps. He argued that lasting economic success also depends on trust and security.
During the trip, Söder visited a KNDS defence company workshop at a military base and promoted investment in the sector, with a particular focus on Bavarian businesses. He said defence was especially important in Qatar, which he noted is about 150 kilometres from Iran.
Söder also announced plans for an economic summit in Munich next year, following a similar event involving the United Arab Emirates. He said economic ties with the UAE were further advanced than those with Qatar and renewed his call for a free-trade zone between the Gulf states and the European Union, adding that Qatar was strongly interested.
The visit to the UAE and Qatar is focused largely on economic cooperation. In Abu Dhabi, Söder met UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for a second time in a matter of weeks. During the president’s visit to Munich in September, Bavaria and the UAE signed an agreement providing for €10 billion in investment in Bavaria.
Sources: Der Spiegel.