Federal Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle today (18 March) met the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy and Industry of Qatar, Abdullah bin Hamad Al-Attiyah.

The talks focused on bilateral relations, the situation in the Middle East and the Iranian nuclear programme.

Federal Minister Westerwelle and Deputy Prime Minister Al-Attiyah agreed that economic and political cooperation between Germany and Qatar should be even further intensified. There were good opportunities in Qatar for German companies, particularly in the fields of energy production, renewable energy and transport/logistics.

With regard to the Middle East conflict, both men expressed their conviction that the peace process must be revived as quickly as possible. The expansion of Israeli settlement activities did not comply with the principles of the road map, which envisages the freezing of such activities.

With respect to Iran’s nuclear programme, Federal Minister Westerwelle emphasized that Iran's continuing refusal to comply could not fail to trigger a response on the part of the international community.