Jerusalem, December 22, 1996
REGIONAL CENTER FOR RESEARCH IN DESALINATION
(Communicated by the Foreign Ministry Spokesman)
The agreement for the creation of a regional center for research in
desalination was signed on December 22, 1996, in Muscat, Oman. It is the
first regional center in the Middle East to start work on a large scale.
It will deal with coordination of research in desalination, constructing
experimental installations at various sites in the Middle East, and
training in desalination-related subjects. It was agreed that the subject
of desalination through solar energy in Israel will have a central place
in the center's activities.
The center will have available for its operations, already in the first
year of its existence, about $7-million for an agreed operating program.
The head of the Israeli mission in Oman, Oded Ben-Haim, signed the
agreement together with ambassadors of the other founding countries, and a
representative of the Omani government, Ambassador Sa'id Badr. The Israeli
delegation to the ceremony was headed by the Foreign Ministry's deputy
director-general for Middle Eastern affairs and the peace process, Yoav
Biran. He travelled specially to attend the first session of the center's
directorate. In his greetings, Ben-Haim stressed the great importance of
establishing the center as a symbol of constructive cooperation between
the peoples of the Middle East.
Israel was among the initiators in setting up the center and its
confirmation by a working group for water questions in the framework of
the multilateral meeting held in Oman in 1994. Since then, the
negotiations have proceeded with the participation of the Ministry's
director for multilateral negotiations, Ram Aviram, and a representative
of the Water Commissioner, Shmuel Kantor.
As a founding member, Israel has equal rights in the center's directorate
together with the U.S., Japan, Korea and Oman. The negotiations have
almost been completed with the European Union for its joining the founding
members.
BACKGROUND TO THE EVENT
Politically, this is an important achievement for the peace process.
Scientifically, it will offer an opportunity to advance a possible
solution for the problem of water in the Middle East, through research,
meetings of experts, model installations, and training in efficient, cheap
techniques and through electronic information networks. Israel will
contribute substantially from her knowhow, but will also be able to enjoy
the great experience accumulated in the Gulf region. About half the
quantity of water desalinated in the world, amounting annually to millions
of cubic meters, is produced in the Gulf. In addition, scientists from
Europe, Japan and the U.S. are participating in the center's work, and
Israel will thus also have access to the knowledge accumulated in those
countries.
The Mekorot Company in Israel will soon be establishing, for the first
time in Israel, an installation for desalinating sea water in commercial
quantities. The director of the research center in Oman visited the
project about a week ago, and was impressed with the engineering
capability he observed. Following his tour of the installation and
meetings with academic figures in Israel, he is now drawing up a detailed
plan to incorporate Israeli institutions in the activity of his center. In
about three weeks' time, members of the scientific council of the center
will visit Israel and conduct studies of the plans at a joint seminar with
their Israeli colleagues and members of Mashav, the International
Cooperation Department of the Foreign
Ministry.