Spain backs UAE for renewable energy agency headquarters

Spain will back UAE’s bid to host the headquarters of the International Renewable Energy ? Agency (IRENA), of which Spain is a member, in Abu Dhabi. Spanish Ambassador to the UAE, Manuel Piñeiro, said, “Spain, a world leader in the field of renewable energies, contemplates with great sympathy the UAE candidature to host the headquarters of Irena.”

The Spanish experience with solar and photovoltaic energies has been taken into account by the UAE authorities, he said. “We have established a good working cooperation between experts of both sides that is mutually benefiting ?from the exchange of information,’’ Piñeiro said. He said, “We consider Masdar a remarkable and worthy initiative, which will make a positive impact in world opinion for speeding up the process of more and more nations embracing the future and sustainable energies.” Masdar is an UAE-owned sustainable project company based in Abu Dhabi

Meanwhile, the Spanish Embassy in Abu Dhabi is also aiming to promote its language among Emiratis and wants to establish Spanish institutes in the UAE on a joint basis, according to the envoy.

In an interview recently he said, “Spanish and UAE governments should join to set up an Instituto Cervantes or Aulas Cervantes both in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.” The Instituto Cervantes and Aulas Cervantes are worldwide non-profit organisations created by the Spanish government in 1991 and dedicated to the teaching of Spanish language.

The continuous expansion of relations between the UAE and Latin America and the opening of new embassies of Latin American countries in Abu Dhabi are among many others reasons to project a vigorous presence of Spanish language in the UAE, the ambassador said. – Khaleej Times