Rabat – Morocco’s Minister for Energy, Mines and the Environment Aziz Rabah met with a number of his international counterparts at a US conference on regional energy security. The remote conference was organized by the US State Department’s Bureau of Energy Resources.
The virtual conference brought together energy ministers of Bahrain, Egypt, Israel, Morocco, the UAE, Sudan and the US to discuss broadening energy security and cooperation. The meeting focused on “comprehensive economic and social development” and energy issues in the MENA region.
According to the Moroccan Ministry of Energy, Mines and the Environment, the conference is to create a foundation to develop measures to “strengthen the regional connection of electricity networks and gas and oil pipelines.” Stronger energy networks guarantee Morocco and its partners better energy security by improving “access to reliable and affordable energy.”
Energy security refers to a nation’s ability to support its own energy needs without being reliant on rivals or potentially hostile or unstable sources. For over a decade, the US has been attempting to decrease their reliance on Middle Eastern oil by promoting and supporting a domestic shale industry.
For Morocco, true energy security would likely be achieved by forming strong bonds with allied oil-producing nations while rapidly developing clean energy at home.
Morocco has the ability to achieve nearly complete energy security through its own natural resources. Morocco already produces a significant amount of its energy through its green energy initiatives, but studies have shown that the country could generate 96% of its energy needs domestically.
This week’s meeting of energy ministers offers the opportunity to study new opportunities for collaboration between the participating nations.
The US is keen to strengthen cooperation with regional allies. It aims to “enhance research and development in the field of energy, deepen strategic partnerships to face common challenges, and stimulate regional investments in this field,” according to Morocco’s Ministry of Energy, Mines and Environment.
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