Spain has joined the Middle East Desalination Research Centre (MEDRC) after a signing ceremony in Madrid on 27 October 2010.
Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Albusaidi, secretary general of the Oman Foreign Ministry and chairman of the Executive Council of MEDRC said, “This pledge confirms the membership of the Government of The Kingdom of Spain to the MEDRC Executive Council, whose members include Israel, the Palestinian National Authority, Jordan, Oman, Qatar, the USA, the Netherlands, Japan and South Korea.”
“On behalf of the members of MEDRC and all other countries who believe in peaceful solutions and international cooperation,” he continued, “I sincerely thank the Government of Spain for its supportive contribution to the Middle East Peace Process (MEPP) and its will to help carry out the important programs of the Center, which include better access to clean water in one of the world’s most arid zones.”
Ronald Mollinger, center director at MEDRC noted that, since its establishment in 1996, the Center has provided a solid platform for cooperation between the members and in particular the core parties of the MEPP.
“Earlier this week, I had the privilege of opening for the second time this year a course in Tel Aviv where 30 water experts from Palestine and Jordan are being trained in desalination technology,” said Mollinger. “The first course was in August of this year and was about the infiltration of recycled waste water into the aquifer. As you are aware, Israel, the Palestinian territories and Jordan share the same aquifers, which should be protected from pollution and intrusion of saline sea water.”