THE GERMAN MINISTER FOR ECONOMICS AND TECHNOLOGY MICHAEL GLOS OPENED HERE TODAY THE 10TH GERMAN ARAB ECONOMIC FORUM. DURING THE OPENING CEREMONY, GLOS ASSERTED HIS COUNTRY'S KEENNESS ON STRENGTHENING ITS ECONOMIC TIES WITH ARAB COUNTRIES IN ADDITION TO BERLIN'S KEENNESS TO PLAY A CONSTRUCTIVE ROLE IN RESOLVING THE MIDDLE EAST CRISIS AND BOLSTERING STABILITY IN LEBANON. HE ALSO POINTED OUT THAT THE PAST TEN YEARS HAVE PROVED THAT GERMAN RELATIONS WITH THE ARAB WORLD HAVE BECOME MORE ENTRENCHED IN THE WAKE OF VISITS PAID BY SEVERAL ARAB LEADERS TO GERMANY DURING THE PAST YEARS. THE GERMAN MINISTER SAID THAT THE GERMAN EXPORTS TO THE ARAB COUNTRIES DURING THE LAST YEAR AMOUNTED TO 21 BILLION EUROS, WHILE THE EXPORTS OF ARAB STATES TO GERMANY AMOUNTED TO 16 BILLION EUROS. HE ALSO ASSERTED THAT HIS COUNTRY IS WELCOMING ARAB AND FOREIGN INVESTMENTS IN GERMANY, SAYING THAT GERMAN GOVERNMENT IS SUPPORTING THESE INVESTMENTS. THE GERMAN MINISTER REVEALED THAT HIS VISITS PAID EARLIER THIS YEAR TO SAUDI ARABIA, GCC COUNTRIES AND ALGERIA CONTRIBUTED TO ACHIEVING COMMON INTERESTS. ON HIS PART, THE CHAIRMAN OF ARAB AMBASSADORS COUNCIL, BAHRAINI AMBASSADOR ADEL YOUSEF SATER ASSERTED THE KEENNESS OF THE ARAB COUNTRIES TO ENHANCE AND DEVELOP RELATIONS WITH GERMANY.
