Partners
RIYADH Germany strengthens its position in the Persian Gulf. Several economic agreements, close cooperation with instruments of repression, media cooperation and exertion of influence in Iraq are the results of the German chancellor's journey to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Throughout the region great candor towards Berlin is noticeable simultaneously with increasing detachment from Washington and London.
During his visit to the Gulf, the German chancellor primarily reinforced German economic influence which had increased remarkably in previous years. The Deutsche Bank will be the first German financial institution to set up a branch office in Saudi Arabia. Together with the CEO of Siemens, von Pierer, Schröder opened the new Siemens ,,headquarters"in Dubai. The conclusion of economic agreements with Saudi Arabia and the UAE is in progress; next year, the German Minister of Economics will travel to Dubai with a large delegation. German corporations are expected to receive lucrative orders, especially within the hydro-electric and electric energy sector, in mining, in the automobile industry and in the communications sector.
,,Obviously..."
German entrepreneurs are profiting tremendously from the increasing tension between Berlin and Washington since the latter's attack on Iraq. This has been met with enthusiasm in Arabic speaking countries. ,,What we observe in Saudi Arabia is a new orientation of investors as well as consumers - in the German direction,"states the office for German economic interests in Riyadh. British and U.S. products are increasingly replaced by German ones.
,,... heading towards Germany"
In addition to opening of markets for German corporations in the Persian Gulf region, the German chancellor also paved the way for local security agencies to work with German authorities. Saudi Arabia agreed to ,,very close cooperation"with the Bundeskriminalamt (federal criminal police agency - BKA) whose president will be travelling to Riyadh shortly. The security services of Saudi Arabia also will ,,closely"assist the German foreign intelligence service, BND. For the re-building of the domestic Iraqi apparatus of repression, Berlin will be able to resort to UAE support.
Against CNN and BBC
Improving opportunities for German universities to influence the education of the future Arab elite, strengthens Germany's position in the Gulf region. This in addition to an agreement for cooperation between the official German broadcasting network, Deutsche Welle and Abu Dhabi TV, one of the popular Arab language stations which have been created recently to displace the big Anglo-American stations, CNN and BBC.
Speech is silver...
The states visited by Schröder are regarded as feudal dictatorships without fundamental democratic civil rights. Skilled and unskilled labor is imported from Asia under contracts which, akin to indentured servitude, do not allow for free association. Despite the obvious lack of a ,,civil society", a concept often evoked by Berlin, the German delegation did not voice any criticism. The federal government's ,,human rights commissioner"followed suit in this economically and geo-strategically opportunistic attitude. Mrs. Roth carefully avoided any public remarks about the Gulf states' domestic situations. 1)
1) See also earlier article ,,Human rights world wide"
Sources:
Deutschland und Vereinigte Arabische Emirate wollen irakische Polizisten ausbilden; www.bundesregierung.de 06.10.2003
Berlin und Riad planen staerkere Zusammenarbeit; Frankfurter Rundschau 07.10.2003
Made in Germany. Die deutsche Wirtschaft profitiert in der arabischen Welt vom Krieg; Tagesspiegel 07.10.2003