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Minister of State Niels Annen visits Bahrain and Saudi Arabia
From 22 to 25 November 2019, Minister of State Niels Annen will visit Manama in Bahrain, and Riyadh and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. The focus of the trip will be current regional developments and efforts to deescalate the political situation. While in Bahrain, Minister of State Annen will participate in the international Manama Dialogue, at which he will deliver a speech on managing conflict and stabilisation in the Middle East. In Riyadh, Minister of State Annen will participate in the Regional Conference of Germany’s Ambassadors in the Gulf, as well as hold political talks with, among others, his Saudi Arabian counterpart Adel Jubeir. In Jeddah, he will meet with the Secretary General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. Minister of State Annen will also hold talks with the new President of the Saudi Human Rights Commission, Dr Awwad al-Awwad, with whom he will discuss the current situation of human rights in Saudi Arabia.
Prior to his departure, Minister of State Annen said today (22 November):
The situation in the Gulf region is very tense. Today, I will travel to Bahrain for the Manama Dialogue, where I will talk with our partners there about the situation in the region, as well as how the situation can be stabilised and mutual trust can be rebuilt. One aim will be to examine options for a dialogue among regional stakeholders with a view to achieving sustainable de-escalation. We will also be discussing the difficult political and humanitarian situation in Yemen. I will advocate for a political settlement within the framework of UN efforts, as well as for improving the catastrophic humanitarian situation. It is important that we hold regular, candid and critical consultations with all countries in the region on these important issues.