DEMARCHE DELIVERY ON INTERNATIONAL RENEWABLE

UNCLAS ACCRA 000570 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EEB/ESC DANIELLE MONOSSON; OES/EGC GRIFF THOMPSON; IO/EDA REBECCA WEBBER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ENRG SENV EAID PREL GH SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERY ON INTERNATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY AGENCY REF: SECSTATE 59969 ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Reftel demarche delivered; Ghana intends to ratify the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) statute by August 2009 and will attend the June 28-30 meeting in Egypt. Ghana will support the Spanish candidate for Director General of IRENA. Ghana,s President will decide whether to support Germany or the UAE as host nation for the IRENA headquarters. The GOG seeks for IRENA to stimulate technology transfer and to benefit Ghana,s development of alternative energy sources. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) EconOff delivered reftel demarche to Mr. Wisdom Ahiataku-Togobo, Head of Renewable Energy at Ministry of Energy, who will be attending the IRENA meeting in Egypt. Ghana,s decision to support Germany or the UAE as HQ host will be made by President Mills in the coming weeks.(Togobo,s desk was littered with IRENA documents and confidential position papers on IRENA from the Minister of Energy to the Presidential Cabinet.) He noted that Ghana directly benefited from years of support from various German agencies and NGOs working on renewable energy issues. Togobo himself received a technical training scholarship under Germany,s DAAD program. He commented that since Germany initiated the concept for IRENA, it would sad for them to lose the headquarters bid to a 'smarter' rival. ¶4. (SBU) Notwithstanding the prior relationship with Germany, Ghana might support the UAE instead. The UAE recently sent a delegation to Ghana to lobby for support on the IRENA HQ vote, and to explore potential assistance to Ghana,s emerging upstream oil and gas sector. Togobo characterized the UAE as "another developing country" that might be better able to facilitate south-south exchanges on renewable energy. Togobo indicated that Ghana,s decision will be guided by a calculation of which country (Germany or the UAE) will help Ghana more. He inquired if the USG was offering an assistance package to Ghana in exchange for supporting the UAE,s HQ bid. Togobo stated that Ghana,s support for the Spanish DG candidate is set, and not up for discussion. ¶5. (SBU) COMMENT: Ghana supports IRENA as a mechanism to support technology transfer (to Ghana.) This approach informs what they expect from the new institution, and their apparent willingness to horse- trade positions on administrative issues in exchange for assistance hand-outs. END COMMENT. TEITELBAUM