Bavarian Premier Söder calls for military presence in Qatar — Der Spiegel

Bavarian Minister-President Markus Söder, after meeting with the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, in Doha, spoke in favor of a German military presence in Qatar. As Der Spiegel reports, the politician proposed arranging a visit by representatives of Germany’s Federal Ministry of Defence and considering the deployment of technical personnel for further training.

Germany’s presence in Qatar

Söder said it is important for Germany to at least be visible in the Persian Gulf region. According to him, the United Kingdom and France have already taken similar steps. The politician added that long-term economic success requires, among other things, trust and security.

During the trip, the head of the Bavarian government also visited a workshop of the defense company KNDS at a military base and called for investment in the defense sector, with particular attention to Bavarian companies. Söder noted that Qatar’s interest in defense is high because of the country’s proximity to Iran: according to him, the distance is about 150 kilometers.

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Investments and economic summit

Söder announced that an economic summit will be held in Munich next year, similar to an event involving the United Arab Emirates. During this trip, he also visited the UAE and met with the country’s president, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

In September, Bavaria and the UAE signed an agreement on €10 billion in investments in Bavaria. According to Söder, economic ties with the Emirates are currently more developed than those with Qatar. He also reiterated the call to advance the creation of free trade zones between the EU, Qatar, and the UAE, noting significant interest in this in Qatar.