DOHA - German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday that Germany has to be sure not to miss business opportunities in the Gulf, especially given the region's dynamic growth. She made the comments while in Qatar, on the last day of her four- day Gulf tour. "We are definitely not moving fast enough," she said, repeating that Asian countries were proving more adept than Germany at building business ties to the region. "We have to exert ourselves." Failure to do so would mean Germany is not competitive in the region in 20 years. She also spoke in favour of a speedy conclusion to Middle East peace talks and noted that governments in the region cannot understand why an agreement has not been reached. Local officials had shown great interest in the euro exchange rate, she said during her visit to the region. "I know you look to Europe with concern following the challenges faced by the common European currency, the euro. Given that Germany is the largest economy in the European Union we will make efforts to stabilize the euro as we have benefited from the euro in the past. "We must work to promote bilateral trade, otherwise we are moving closer to fragile states, " she said after a meeting with Saudi businessmen and women late Wednesday. German Chancellor Angela Merkel says her country remains committed to a strong euro amid Europe's debt crisis. Merkel's comments late Wednesday in Saudi Arabia come after days of turmoil in world markets on fears that Europe's woes could derail the global economic recovery. The euro has slipped sharply. Merkel has visited the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar on her Gulf tour. She will make a quick stopover in Bahrain before returning to Germany Thursday.
