IRENA Director-General addresses European energy ministers

The Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Adnan Z. Amin, took part in the European Union’s Informal Meeting of Energy Ministers on 17 September in Nicosia, Cyprus, where he called for continued European support for the global transition to renewable energy.

The meeting, bringing together energy ministers from EU Member States and the European Economic Area, provided for an informal exchange of views on the continent’s energy future, including post-2020 strategy on renewable energy and trans-European energy infrastructure. Mr Amin attended at the invitation of Neoklis Sylikiotis, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism for the Republic of Cyprus, which currently holds the rotating EU Presidency.

Mr Amin paid tribute to the pioneering work of European countries to develop renewable sources and technologies, paving the way for the rest of the world to leapfrog to a more sustainable and prosperous future.  He noted the increasing global momentum for renewable energy, with some 118 countries now having renewable-oriented targets or policies, and an increasing number of countries taking decisive steps to overcome particular energy challenges through renewable solutions. “Europe, with its wealth of knowledge, technical expertise and experience must be a full partner in this global trend”, Mr Amin said.