An active debate took place to develop a comprehensive picture of the challenges related to renewable resources and energy efficiency. In particular, participants discussed the Energy Charter's experience in facilitating regional energy cooperation as an effective instrument for building common views, coordinating policies and developing projects and partnerships.
Among the distinguished speakers addressing meeting participants were: Minister Kabariti; Energy Charter Secretary General Dr. Rusnák; Assistant Speaker of the House of Representatives of Jordan Mr. Mohammad Al-Radaydeh; Head of the EU Delegation to Jordan Amb. Joanna Wronecka; Deputy Secretary General for Energy at the Secretariat of the Union for the Mediterranean Mrs. Teresa Ribeiro; and Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Germany to Jordan Dr. Ines Gessner.
Discussion during the first session focused on regional energy cooperation in the Middle East and North Africa. Representatives of UN-ESCWA, the European Union, the Regional Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, Arab Electricity Union, MEDREG, IRENA and the Energy Charter Secretariat encouraged intergovernmental cooperation between regional and international organisations working in the energy sector in the MENA region. Speakers also stressed the importance of coordination in order for a balanced regional energy policy to be developed.
The second session was dedicated to issues related to the development of the renewable energy sector in the MENA region. Experts from Egypt, Jordan, the Palestinian National Authority and Algeria presented their experience in the field of renewables deployment. All the speakers highlighted the significance of the renewables potential in the MENA region, particularly for such countries as Morocco or Jordan, where indigenous fossil fuel resources are scarce. In this context, the team leader of "Paving the Way for the Mediterranean Solar Plan" presented to meeting participants this EU-financed project.
During the third session, participants discussed energy efficiency polices in the MENA region. The speaker from the Regional Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency presented the Centre's recent study on the Arab Future Energy Index.