Israeli FM launches Berlin visit with packed diplomatic agenda

Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has begun an official visit to Germany, according to a statement from the Israeli Foreign Ministry.

During the visit, Saar is scheduled to meet with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Bundestag President Julia Klöckner, and his German counterpart Johann Wadephul. The meeting with Wadephul will mark their eighth encounter over the past year, after which the two ministers are expected to hold a joint press conference.

Saar is also expected to meet with German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, the government’s Commissioner for Combating Antisemitism Felix Klein, Germany’s Minister for Research, Technology and Space Dorothee Bär, and Chairman of the Bundestag Foreign Affairs Committee Armin Laschet, along with other senior officials.

As part of the visit, Saar will also travel to the memorial at Platform 17 of Grunewald railway station, a site used by the Nazi regime as a deportation hub for Berlin’s Jewish population to concentration and extermination camps. He is also set to meet with leaders of Germany’s Jewish community.

“Strengthening ties with Germany and maintaining ongoing dialogue with it are central elements of our foreign policy, which are especially important during this difficult period. Our goal is to deepen ties with Germany, including in the areas of security and the economy,” Saar said, according to the ministry.

By Tamilla Hasanova