UAE ideal base for Irena: minister

Abu Dhabi: Locating the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena) in a developing country would send a strong message that the world is serious about making renewable energy accessible to all countries alike, said a minister.

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"The UAE offers the Irena headquarters a location that is a meeting point between east and west, north and south, bridging the gap between the developed and developing countries," said Dr Anwar Mohammad Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, in an exclusive interview with Gulf News.

Leaders from 98 countries will gather at Sharm Al Shaikh in Egypt on June 29 to decide where the agency will be based. The UAE is competing against Germany and Austria.

If the UAE wins the bid it would not only mark the first time an international organisation has chosen the Middle East as its headquarters, but would also position Irena to engage all nations - developed and developing - and address the unique challenges that each country faces.

"Our quest is for Irena to be an agency that is global and inclusive and we seek a voice for the developing world through an organisation that is innovative, international and one that will bring serious advances to the cause of renewables," Gargash said, adding that the response from countries worldwide has been very positive.

The UAE hopes to act as the ideal conduit for transfer of renewable energy technology expertise and research capabilities through Irena to countries that need it the most. "It would send a positive message ... to the region," he said.