The Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office, Cornelia Pieper, together with the Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology, Ernst Burgbacher, today (7 October) invited North African Ambassadors to the Federal Foreign Office for a round table on Desertec.

Former Federal Minister Dr Klaus Töpfer, adviser to the Desertec initiative, and Paul van Son, CEO of Dii GmbH, discussed the status of the project with the Ambassadors of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt. They also talked about further joint action on feasibility studies and reference projects.

This, the first discussion forum on Desertec, was designed to advance the trusting dialogue between the partner countries in North Africa, the Federal Government and Dii GmbH.

Minister of State Pieper said:

”The Desertec idea offers a win-win situation. Only through close and trusting cooperation will we benefit together from Desertec.“

The aim of the private-sector Desertec project is to expand the use of renewable energies in North Africa and the Middle East and to put in place the conditions for importing electricity to Europe. The Federal Government emphatically supports the objective of making greater use of renewable energies in North Africa. Since the company’s launch in July 2009, the Federal Foreign Office has consistently advised and provided political support for Dii GmbH.