President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Karl Nehammer, Federal Chancellor of the Republic of Austria, have witnessed the signing of a Strategic Energy Security and Industrial Cooperation (SESIC) partnership between the UAE and Austria.
The SESIC will focus on projects of mutual interest in refined products, liquefied natural gas (LNG), renewables, and hydrogen and its derivatives. It will further promote sustainable development, decarbonisation and progressive climate action as both countries work towards achieving the objectives of the Paris Agreement and the Glasgow Climate Pact.
The partnership was signed during the Austrian Chancellor’s state visit to the UAE by Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, UAE Special Envoy for Climate Change, and Managing Director and Group CEO of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), and Dr. Magnus Brunner, Austrian Federal Minister of Finance.
His Highness said, “The UAE and Austria enjoy close and friendly bilateral relations and we are further deepening our ties through this new Strategic Energy Security and Industrial Cooperation partnership. The UAE will continue to be a reliable and responsible energy provider, building and strengthening partnerships to drive economic and industrial growth, support global energy security and power a more sustainable future.”
Austrian Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer said, “Today's high-level meeting in Abu Dhabi marks another milestone in the long strategic cooperation between the United Arab Emirates and Austria. The United Arab Emirates are an important strategic partner for us and help us ensure our energy security. Our discussions today went far beyond the supply of LNG for Austria's energy supply and also covered economic cooperation and the joint fight against climate change. I am pleased that we were also able to record this in a joint declaration. Together we strive to work towards a more sustainable and brighter future. I want to particularly thank His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for our excellent cooperation.”
The signing ceremony was attended by H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court; Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan, Advisor for Special Affairs at the Presidential Court; Suhail bin Mohammed Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure; Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber; Khaldoun Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Executive Affairs Authority and Member of the Executive Council; and Hamad Al Kaabi, UAE Ambassador to Austria.
Attending from the Austrian side were Dr. Magnus Brunner; Leonor Geoffsler, Federal Minister for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology; Etienne Berchtold, Ambassador of Austria to the UAE; and a number of Austrian government officials.
His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan expressed his thanks to Chancellor Nehammer for his efforts to expand cooperation with the UAE and wished Austria continued progress, growth and stability.
A separate agreement was signed between ADNOC LNG and OMV Gas Marketing & Trading Gmbh to explore opportunities to supply LNG to Austria and reinforce its energy security for the winter period of 2023/2024, while decarbonising its energy sources.
The SESIC partnership capitalises on the strong energy cooperation between both countries and the existing Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement signed in July 2021.
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