Bahrain Stresses Importance of Joint Coopeation in Energy Field

Bahraini Oil and Gas Minister Abdul Hussein Bin Ali Mizra has underlined the importance of promoting joint cooperation, investments and technology used in energy field to counter challenges it faces to respond to the growing world demand taking into account the necessary criteria for sustainable energy and environment protection. In his address before the first main session entitled,” Energy Solutions from the Middle East” of the 20th World Petroleum Congress (WPC) now in session in Doha, Abdul Hussein Bin Ali Mizra reviewed a set of economic, environmental and political factors which emerged over the past three years since the previous session of the WPC held in Madrid in 2008 and which affected on the energy market as far as price stability and supply and demand are concerned. He also stressed the importance of the close cooperation between the energy producing and consuming countries on one part and the other partners including governments , public or governmental and private companies and the international related corportions on the other with a view to maintaining a stable level of energy in the world market. The bahraini oil and gas minister meanwhile highlighted the importance of innovation to ensure the response to the growing global demand for energy and the application of renewable energy technology-friendly environment such as solar and wind energy, which calls for the development of new technologies and human resources in the Middle East which suffer from a lack of expertise in this area. Abdul Hussein Bin Ali Mizra reviewed his country’s experience in this regard, noting that U.S. $ 15 billion has been allocated to develop a plan through which the kingdom of Bahrain seeks to devise and implement projects designed to preserve and protect the environment, pointing to a joint venture between the Kingdom of Bahrain and a number of countries along the lines of the United States of America and “Swap” of Abu Dhabi, which will lead to a doubling of the national production. In reply to a question by Qatar News Agency (QNA) after the main session on the challenges facing the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), the Bahraini Minister of Energy said that the challenges are many, such as price fluctuations, and the political changes, stressing meantime the need for cooperation between the oil and energy producing and consuming countries,investment in technology and training and qualifying the national cadres not only for the use of technology but also to learn it as well.