Jeddah (dpa) – On a visit to Saudi Arabia Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock stressed opportunities for cooperating on the energy transition but also called for respect for human rights. Germany and Saudi Arabia wanted to deepen their cooperation on transforming industry and business in the face of the climate crisis, Baerbock said. She stressed what she described as the “incredible potential” for expanding renewable energy and green hydrogen, “and particularly in the area of solar energy and wind”.
The Federal Foreign Minister also insisted on women’s rights. “For me it is self-evident that a society which wants to set an example to a whole region will also listen to the voices of its women, both online and offline,” Baerbock said.
Speaking shortly before a summit meeting of the Arab League, the minister warned against an “unconditional normalisation” in dealings with President Bashar al-Assad of Syria. “Any step towards Assad should be made contingent on concrete concessions,” said Baerbock, who stressed that he must not be “rewarded for the most serious human rights violations on a daily basis”.
Baerbock also issued an urgent call for a ceasefire in the North African state of Sudan. “The world is looking to Sudan to see if the generals will honour their responsibilities towards everyone in Sudan,” she said. “We must therefore do everything we can to prevent the conflict from becoming a regional wildfire.”
Discussion about this post