Steinmeier election as new German president lauded

RIYADH: German Ambassador Dieter W. Haller has hailed the election of Frank-Walter Steinmeier as the new German president. He said that, “he is one of the most experienced politicians in Germany and has always been engaged in building bridges between nations and cultures. This is a good day for Germany and German democracy.”
The German Federal Convention has elected Steinmeier by an overwhelming majority to become the country’s new president.
Steinmeier, Germany’s former foreign minister was elected Sunday in Berlin with 931 of the 1,260 votes. The special election assembly is made up of the 630 lawmakers in parliament’s lower house and an equal number of representatives from Germany’s 16 federal states. Steinmeier’s term of office as president begins March 19.
In his acceptance speech, Steinmeier stated that during hard times, and when the world is facing instability, Germans can count on the solidarity of society. He added: “This country is a beacon of hope for many people around the world. Germany encourages people, not because everything is going well, but because we demonstrated that things can improve.”
The members of the Bundestag and the representatives of the 16 federal states joined outgoing President Joachim Gauck and Chancellor Angela Merkel in congratulating the newly elected president.
Merkel lauded the election of Steinmeier as president, “I am convinced that he will be an outstanding president,” she said.
Steinmeier started his political career in 1996 as undersecretary of state and director of the State Chancellery of Lower Saxony. He was appointed in November 1998 as an undersecretary of state at the Federal Chancellery as Gerhard Schröder took office as Chancellor.
On Nov. 22, 2005 Steinmeier became minister of foreign affairs and served until 2009, he also acted as vice-chancellor from 2007 and 2009. In 2009, Steinmeier was elected to the Bundestag and also became chairman of the SPD’s parliamentary group. After the elections of 2013 and the formation of a new grand coalition government, he was appointed as foreign minister for the second time in December 2013. He left his position in December 2016 and is succeeded by the current foreign minister Sigmar Gabriel.
During his time as foreign minister, Steinmeier visited the Kingdom five times. Moreover, he also traveled to Saudi Arabia as part of an official visit as chairman of the SPD´s parliamentary group in 2012.
His last visit to the Kingdom as foreign minister was in February 2016, on the occasion of the Opening Ceremony of Al Janadriyah Festival with Germany as the guest of honor. During his visit, he met King Salman as well as high-ranking Saudi officials.