CHAD WILL ATTEND IRENA PREPARATORY MEETING IN EGYPT

UNCLAS NDJAMENA 000250 STATE FOR AF/C, AF/EX, EEB LONDON FOR POL - LORD PARIS FOR POL - KANEDA, DELIA ADDIS ABABA FOR AU E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL APER ECON ETRD ELAB EFIN CD SUBJECT: CHAD WILL ATTEND IRENA PREPARATORY MEETING IN EGYPT REF: State 61286 -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (U) Following instruction in reftel, Post met with the Director of Energy at the Ministry of Energy, Mbodou Djourab, June 22. The Director confirmed that Chad would attend the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) preparatory meeting to be held in Egypt at the end of this month. Djourab also said that on January 26, Chad had signed the IRENA Statute, but had not yet got its National Assembly to ratify the document. The Director assured us that the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy was working on the basis of the IRENA text but did not know when it would be acted on formally by parliamentarians. END SUMMARY. -------------- LEANING TOWARD THE UAE CANDIDACY -------------- ¶2. (U) Director Djourab said he appreciated that Post was sharing views based on reftel. He acknowledged that the governments of Austria, Germany and the UAE had sought Chad's support, but he did not give any indication of which candidacy his government would endorse. He seemed to appreciate the UAE candidacy for the same reasons that the USG does. He noted that were UAE to host IRENA, this would be the first Middle East-headquartered permanent international organization with a focus on clean energy technology; that the selection of an OPEC country to host IRENA would send an important positive message about the global transition to low-carbon economics; and that the bulk of global energy demand growth was expected to come from Asia and the Middle East, making a UAE headquarters a practical choice. ¶3. (U) The Director also said that the ultimate decision on whom to support would be made by Chad's delegation to the Egypt meeting. He promised to convey U.S. views to all delegation members. -------------- AFRICA, AN IMPORTANT SOLAR ENERGY SOURCE -------------- ¶4. (U) Director Djourab welcomed the creation of IRENA and said he thought that the organization's mission should help developing countries take advantage of renewable energy technology. While sharing the USG's vision explained in reftel demarche, the Director added that the future Agency should put more focus on African countries, as they could be important solar energy sources. BREMNER