Business & Money | Tuesday 17 January, 2017 3:58 am |

Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroder said here on Monday that his country is ready to cooperate with the Kingdom and share its expertise in the implementation of Saudi Vision 2030.
Schroder, who was leading a trade delegation from his country, was addressing local business people in the capital at the headquarters of the Council of Saudi Chambers (CSC).
The former chancellor said he was representing a number of German companies to discuss the economic cooperation between the two countries. He pointed out that these companies are willing to participate in the Vision 2030 plan.
“Even in the implementation of the National Transformation Program 2020, we have the necessary expertise to share with the Kingdom’s private sector for its successful implementation,” he added.
Schroder is on a three-day visit to the Kingdom in his capacity as chairman of the German Near and Middle East Association (NUMOV). During his stay in the capital, Schroder is meeting Saudi officials to boost relations with Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia.
CSC vice president Shuwaim Al-Qitab said the two countries enjoy a long history of bilateral relations, with trade reaching $12.6 billion in 2015, compared with $6.9 billion in 2006.
Al-Qitab called for several agreements between the two countries and asked the delegates to form partnerships with the Kingdom in mining, industry services and renewable energy.
German Ambassador Dieter Haller said in a statement that he hoped Schroder’s visit would boost links with the Kingdom. “Our close coordination in bilateral fields, as well as at multilateral fora as two G20 members, has been very intense,” said the envoy.
He said that the Kingdom and Germany have been working closely to boost “peace efforts,” and that security cooperation and commercial engagements are the major components of Saudi-German relations.