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This year has shown a further strong increase of the German presence in Qatar as well as a remarkable growth of visitors from Qatar to Germany.
Stimulated by the decision of the Governments of our two friendly countries to build a strategic partnership as expressed in the joint declaration during the visit of His Highness Sheikh Abdullah Bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Prime Minister of the State of Qatar, in June 2005 to Germany, we witnessed a further increase of visits of the German political leadership to Qatar.
Minister of Interior, Dr. Wolfgang Schäuble, in February 2006 met in Doha with His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar, His Highness Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, the Crown Prince of Qatar, and His Highness Sheikh Abdullah Bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Prime Minister of Qatar as well as the Minister of Interior and opened together with the latter the second conference on the reconstruction of interior security and border management in Afghanistan. In April 2006 the Federal Minister for Economy, Michael Glos, took part at the World Energy Forum in Qatar and had a very substantial and frank exchange of views with the Second Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Energy and Industry of the State of Qatar, H.E. Al Attiyah.
In May 2006 the German Minister for Foreign Affairs, Frank Walter Steinmeier, visited Qatar to meet his counterpart, the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, H.E. Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jabor Al Thani and had a very broad and extensive exchange of views on Near and Middle Eastern Affairs as well as on bilateral issues. The Federal Minister visited Ras Laffan and got a first hand impression of the extraordinary economic development of Qatar.
The Assistant Foreign Minister, Dr. Peter Ammon, met with Minister for Energy and Industry and the Minister for Trade and Economy, exploring possibilities to further strengthen our economic cooperation and the presence of German companies in Qatar, a large delegation from Lower Saxony led by the Vice Minister for Economy, held talks with the political leadership of Qatar and prominent Qatari businessmen.
Top executives of the German business community like the Chairman of the Board of Siemens, Dr. Kleinfeld, Members of the Board of Thyssen Krupp and Wintershall, BASF and Linde as well as prominent Bankers Dr. Faber, Head of Allianz Global Investment, got first hand impressions of the many opportunities Qatar offers to German companies and businessmen.
Attracted by the high standards of security and living, the exceptional growth and the large investments not only large German Companies but also small and medium sized enterprises seized their chances and opened representative offices or formed joint ventures in Doha. The German community therefore increased considerably, many of them received valuable first hand information and help from The German Business Council Qatar and its members.
As the German Business Community in Qatar grows, so does the membership of the German Business Council in Qatar. I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to all members of its energetic Board, especially to the Chairman, Mr. Michael Rau. I know first hand, that he and all colleagues on the Board have sacrificed a lot of their spare time to make the German Business Council Qatar a success.
Dr. Dirk Baumgartner
Ambassador
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