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German foreign minister heading to Brazil, Colombia, Panama for talks

DPA WORLD
Published June 02,2023
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German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Labour Minister Hubertus Heil are travelling to Brazil on Sunday, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry said on Friday.

The ministers are pursuing a joint programme in Brazil, where they will focus on skilled labour migration.

Baerbock then plans to travel on to Colombia and Panama for her inaugural trip to the region.

Heil will be with the delegation until Thursday, a Labour Ministry spokeswoman said. His focus is on finding pragmatic solutions for the recruitment of skilled workers.

Heil said it was very important to proceed sensitively and not to deprive a country of the workers it needs. Instead, he seeks to set up a system under which countries of origin benefit just as much as the people who come to Germany.

Brazil is seen as offering great potential as a source of workers for the care sector.

Brazil, Colombia and Panama are three close partners with which Germany has much in common, such as democratic values and supporting a global rules-backed system, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

They also share economic interests more closely than ever. Plus, they are collaborating on action on climate change, he said.

On Thursday, Baerbock is scheduled to hold talks in the city of Cali in Colombia with Vice President Francia Márquez. Her focus in Colombia is to be on the peace process in the country as well as on climate issues and women's rights, the spokesman said.

On Friday, Baerbock is to meet her Panamanian counterpart Janaina Tewaney Mencomo in Panama. There, she is also planning to visit the Panama Canal, an important conduit for world trade.