Development Minister Reem Alabali Radovan (SPD) announced that Germany plans to forge “strategic alliances” with Gulf states. She told the weekend edition of the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” that the focus will be on targeted cooperation around shared interests-such as reconstruction in Gaza and support in Syria.
Alabali Radovan stressed that every actor involved in development cooperation must be brought into dialogue. “Anything else would be a strategic mistake” she said. She called for a clearer definition of German interests in this field.
The minister also reaffirmed that value‑driven development policy will continue under the current government. “Development cooperation must remain feminist” she said. “Many people get tangled in terminology, but what matters is the substance: when it comes to protecting women and girls from violence, I can’t find anyone who thinks that is wrong”.
Facing national and international budget cuts, Alabali Radovan aims to strengthen development cooperation with the EU and other partners. “As the federal government we send a clear signal: Germany remains a reliable partner and stands for a rules‑based world order” she added. “But it is also clear that we cannot compensate for the United States’ retreat-neither alone nor as the EU”. Her reform agenda is presented as a fitting response to the world in flux. “The cuts are harsh but necessary” she concluded.
