Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will visit Saudi Arabia and meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as part of a trip to the Gulf. This was also done when Germany rushed to secure energy supply.
Reported ReutersOn Monday (19/9/2022), Scholz, accompanied by a business delegation, will visit Saudi Arabia on Saturday, where he will meet the Crown Prince and, if his health conditions allow, King Salman.
In addition to Saudi Arabia, Scholz will also visit Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
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Prince Salman was until recently considered a “pariah” in the West for his alleged role in the journalist’s murder Washington Post Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.
But it has been courted again as Europe and its allies are looking for new sources of fossil fuels after Russia cut gas supplies due to mounting tensions over the attack on Ukraine.
Government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit did not explain the reason for Scholz’s visit to the Gulf, but said he would be “very surprised” if the topic of energy was not raised.
The spokesman also assured that “Khashoggi’s killing will certainly be the subject of discussion”.
This is the latest sign of Prince Salman’s international rehabilitation. Earlier in July, French President Emmanuel Macron held talks with him in Paris and US President Joe Biden visited the kingdom.
On Sunday Scholz will travel to the United Arab Emirates and meet with President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, and in the afternoon he will hold talks with the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.
Meanwhile, German Economy Minister Robert Habeck visited Qatar and the UAE in March in an effort to find alternatives to Russian gas.
Russia’s decision to cut supply has triggered an energy crisis in Europe, with consumers and businesses facing skyrocketing bills as winter approaches.
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