KUWAIT CITY, 1 March 2005 — German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder arrived in Kuwait yesterday, the second stop on his weeklong tour of the region focused on developing business ties with the area. (See also Page 17)
Schroeder, who is accompanied by business leaders and high-ranking government officials, first met with Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al- Ahmed Al-Sabah.
The chancellor is also scheduled formally to open a new power station built by the German Siemens company and launch the Arabic language program of German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle.
The chancellor is expected to sign an economic treaty under which Siemens would be guaranteed a 70-million-euro deal to supply transformers to Kuwait.
Also included in the agreement are the launch of an economic commission and a training center for DaimlerChrysler.
The Hamburg-based company Dermalog is expected to establish a nationwide passport control system for the Kuwaitis, according to a separate agreement to be signed during Schroeder’s visit.
As one of Kuwait’s top trading partners, Germany exported around $1 billion worth of goods to the Gulf state in 2003, mostly in vehicles, machinery, and electrical goods.
That figure is likely to reach $1.2 billion for 2004, once estimates are finalized, German diplomats said earlier. German products make up about 10 percent of Kuwaiti imports.
Schroeder is also expected to hold talks on Kuwait’s plans to buy German military products, among them Fuchs armored reconnaissance vehicles (ARVs), built by Rheinmetall, as well as swift boats and self-propelled howitzers.
Following his meetings in Kuwait Schroeder is scheduled to travel throughout the Gulf countries of Oman, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Yemen.
