German leader continues Gulf tour with stops in UAE, Qatar

BERLIN (AP) — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has planted a tree at a mangrove park in the United Arab Emirates, a token nod to environmentalism during a two-day visit to the Gulf region focused mainly on securing new fossil fuel supplies and forging fresh alliances against Russia. Germany is trying to wean itself off energy imports from Russia in response to the invasion of Ukraine, while avoiding an energy shortage in the coming months. To do so, the German government has sought out new natural gas suppliers while also installing terminals to bring the fuel into the country by ship. Later Sunday, Scholz was heading to Qatar to meet the emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.