BERLIN: Qatar has plans to invest in Germany, and has not ruled out a possible stake in ailing carmaker Opel, the Emir HH Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani said yesterday. “We will definitely invest in Germany,” the Emir told weekly Spiegel news magazine.
The Emir said the global economic crisis was a good opportunity to invest in Europe’s largest economy. “The Germans count as the most industrious workers of the world, they will fight for their economy,” the Emir said.
Sheikh Hamad said Qatar had an eye on Germany’s car sector. “It is certain that we will invest in the German car industry, but we need to find the right time and the right price to do so. It makes sense to become involved in a car manufacturer such as Opel or Daimler, since cars are sold worldwide,” the Emir added.
Sheikh Hamad said he wanted to ensure that the state’s wealth outlived its oil resources. “Long-term, I see Qatar as more of an education centre than energy supplier.” Qatar, the Emir said, was just entering into discussions with British universities, but he said “Germany could approach us in a more engaged manner”.
On Qatar’s relations with its Middle East neighbours, the Emir made it clear they had no enemies. “We would never side with America against Iran, for example,” the Emir said adding, “Iran has never caused us problems.”
The Emir also explained why his country opposed the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrant against Sudanese President Omar Hassan Al Bashir. “If something happens to Al Bashir and chaos erupted in Sudan, all of Africa will descend into chaos,” he said, adding that the only people to benefit would be Al Qaeda. He said Qatar continued to believe in a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, and would continue to allow high ranking Israelis to visit the state. “We have no dark intentions, we are just giving our opinions. And we want peace,” the Emir said.
DPA
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