Bahrain-UN cooperation in sustainable energy discussed

Manama, July 11 (BNA): President of the Sustainable Energy Authority (SEA), Dr. Abdulhussain bin Ali Mirza, received here today the Acting Resident Coordinator of the United Nations Activities in the Kingdom of Bahrain, Mohammed El-Zarqani, and Resident Representative of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), Stefano Pettinato. The meeting was held following the appointment of El-Zarqani as Acting Resident Coordinator of the United Nations Activities in the Kingdom, in addition to his duties as Head of the Mission of the International Organisation for Migration. Dr. Mirza welcomed the delegation, and wished El-Zarqani every success in carrying out his additional duties, lauding his experience and high competence, which entitled him to his posts. He also commended the tremendous efforts being exerted by Stefano Pettinato as Resident Representative of the UN Development Programme in Bahrain to support the kingdom’s efforts to shift to sustainable energy and enable it to reach the relevant international platforms specialised in the fields of sustainable development. He also reviewed the progress of SEA’s cooperation with the UNDP since 2014, when the two sides signed the sustainable energy unit agreement, which later became the Sustainable Energy Authority, a government agency in charge of renewable energy and energy efficiency in the kingdom. Dr. Mirza also highlighted SEA’s plans, projects and achievements that have reflected positively on the kingdom’s comprehensive development march, based on Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa’s directives to make Bahrain a distinguished centre in the fields of diversified and sustainable energy resources. El-Zarqani and Stefano Pettinato lauded the kingdom’s efforts in the field of sustainable energy, which, they said, contribute to achieving global sustainable development goals, particularly the seventh goal aiming to “ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all”.