Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd bin Abdulaziz received in Riyadh yesterday Germany’s Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, who also held talks with Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, and with Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Saud Al-Faisal. The talks covered international issues such as Iraq and Lebanon as well as bilateral relations.

Chancellor Schröder, who left today after his two-day visit to the Kingdom, opened an exhibit yesterday with Governor of Riyadh Province Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz depicting 75 years of Saudi-German relations. The exhibit, jointly organized by the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI), the Al-Turath Foundation, and the German Embassy, commemorates the treaty of friendship between the two countries that was signed in Cairo in 1929. Speaking on the occasion, RCCI Chairman Abdulrahman Al-Jeraisey referred to Crown Prince Abdullah’s visit to Germany in 2001 as greatly enhancing bilateral relations, which were reinforced by Chancellor Schröder’s 2003 visit to the Kingdom. Minister of Economy and Planning Khalid Al-Qusaibi pointed out that in 2003 the value of German exports to the Kingdom amounted to about SR12.4 billion [U.S. $3.31 billion], while imports from the Kingdom amounted to SR1.7 billion [$0.45 billion].

Chancellor Schröder also attended the signing of three economic agreements between a number of Saudi and German companies with investments exceeding SR6.0 billion [$1.6 billion] in the sectors of industry, telecommunications, technology, health, petrochemicals and transport.

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