Bahrain-EU to Tap Wind-Solar Power

April 17, 2008
Manama, Bahrain

Bahrain is exploring wind and solar power initiatives with the European Union (EU), it has emerged.

European commissioner for external affairs and neighbourhood policy, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, said clean energy was high on the list of priorities of both parties, as they seek to diversify their sources of supply.

The senior official discussed the issue during meetings with Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr Nazar Al Baharna and Oil and Gas Affairs Minister Dr Abdul-hussain Mirza.

Ms Ferrero-Waldner also met human rights activists here, as well as GCC Secretary-General Abdulrahman bin Hamad Al Attiyah in Saudi Arabia.

She left Bahrain yesterday morning to travel to Qatar for talks with government officials at the conclusion of her two-day regional visit.

Ms Ferrero-Waldner told the GDN on her way to the airport that clean energy was a major part of her discussions. "Bahrain is already working on that in a very intelligent way, but there are many other sources of knowledge and we are trying to bring together different research to unify these efforts," she said.

"This is one of the aims we have because we have a mutual interest in diversifying our energy sources.

"The scope is there (for future agreements) and now we have to concrete them."

She revealed future education initiatives were also on the agenda, adding that Bahrain was an important country for the EU, despite its small size.

"The whole region is important to us, but we see that Bahrain is modernising its economy and political fields and is trying to be forward thinking in its energy and human resources," she said.

She declined to say whether any particular country was responsible for holding up the long-running EU-GCC FTA negotiations or what the issues of dispute were. She earlier said FTA could be concluded by year-end. She said substantial progress has been made and her trip had raised further co-operation in the energy, economic and commercial fields.

Source: Gulf Daily News

For more information, please contact the Office of the Economic Representative via e-mail info@bahraingateway.org or by telephone at (202) 537-7810.