Germany and Algeria to cooperate on fossil and renewable energy

Dec 8, 2010, 14:25 GMT

Berlin - Germany and Algeria unveiled plans on Wednesday to cooperate more closely on energy provision from fossil fuels and renewable sources, during a visit to Berlin by Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika.

'We are interested in helping with the exploitation of oil and gas reserves, but also to cooperate more closely with Algeria on solar and renewable energy,' Chancellor Angela Merkel said.

She stressed the importance of the Desertec solar programme, which plans to harness solar energy in northern Africa and feed a power network extending to Europe and the Middle East.

'I gave my assurance that we have a great interest in implementing Desertec, which is still a vision today,' Merkel said. Representatives of the project were due to join the leaders for a working lunch.

Bouteflika said he hoped the cooperation with Germany would include a sharing of skills.

'We expect help with the training of our youth, which Germany is prepared to do. We are interested in a technology transfer, which Germany has also agreed to,' he said.

'We also expect German contributions towards building an economy in Algeria which is less and less dependent on fossil fuels,' Bouteflika added.

Merkel thanked Algeria for supporting the country's bid for permanent representation on the United Nations Security Council, on which Germany is about to begin a two-year rotation.

'This gives Germany the possibility, given the pending conflicts in the region, of reinforcing the options available to the United Nations,' Merkel said, citing the conflict in western Sahara as an example.

The leaders also discussed the conflict in the Middle East and in Sudan, where they called on both the African Union and the European Union to 'take responsibility.'

Merkel said Germany also planned to work with Algeria on securing the country's borders, a project which she said was also aimed at curbing refugees travelling north through Africa to reach Europe.

At the same time, she stressed the importance of creating economic incentives in Africa to prevent the flow of refugees to Europe.

Merkel said Algeria's youth was 'thirsty for knowledge,' and said they should be offered 'as many democratic freedoms as possible, in order to develop well,' offering German help in this regard.

Bouteflika was also due to meet Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle in Berlin.

Read more about Algeria

Read more about Germany Diplomacy