News from Berlin. Yesterday saw the German Parliamentary Secretary of State Iris Gleicke meet with the Palestinian Deputy Minister for Economic Affairs Dr. Tayseer Amro to discuss furthering bilateral relations between the two areas. Gleicke claims that it is of paramount importance that the two partners should work together and intensify economic cooperation. This includes increased trade, as well as a higher amount of foreign direct investment. The German representative furthermore claims that deepening economic relations can also further enable Germany to aid in finding a peaceful solution for Palestine’s conflict with Israel. Here, the general approach adopted would see Germany support the efforts of US Secretary of State John Kerry. A summit between Palestine and Germany takes place every two years in order for discussions to commence regarding specific projects and initiatives that can be undertaken. 2013 saw German businesses export €53million worth of goods and services to Palestinian areas. The ‘Inititiative for the Palestinian Economy’ aims at increasing the volume of trade in this regard.

The Berlin Global

News from Berlin.