Michael Ohnmacht, the chargé d’affaires and minister counselor at the German Embassy.

A 65-member delegation from Lower Saxony will visit the Kingdom from Jan. 24 to 28 to boost economic and political ties with Saudi Arabia.

Prime Minister Stephan Weil would lead the delegation, said Michael Ohnmacht, the chargé d’affaires and minister counselor at the German Embassy here on Friday.

“Weil’s visit will strengthen political ties between the two countries in general and between the federal state of Lower Saxony and the provinces to be visited in particular,” said Ohnmacht.

He said Germany’s federal states are as important as those in the United States, where each has a governor. The way to strengthen political ties is to ensure there are regular visits between the two countries, he said. “There’s a need for German leaders to learn more about the Kingdom, which is a very important ally for us.”

He said the two countries share the goal of fighting terrorism, “which is a threat to all of us and must not be associated with religion or a specific region.”

“We have common goals and very close positions on the major political issues and challenges we are facing, among them the common stand that the bloodshed in Syria has to be stopped and a just and lasting solution to the Palestinian question found through peaceful means.”

The delegation will also consist of businesspeople from Lower Saxony who will promote their products and services in one-to-one meetings with their local counterparts.

“The strengthening of our bilateral trade will certainly further enhance the existing excellent bilateral relations,” said Ohnmacht, whose previous postings include Ramallah, Paris and Beirut.

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