Fusion

BERLIN/TRIPOLIS The German energy company, Winterhall AG, wants to reduce German dependence on supply from the Russian federation by cooperating more closely in the natural gas sector with the Libyan National Oil Company (NOC). Libya's rapprochement, which began during the second half of the 1990s, leads to further demands by Berlin's foreign and economic policy makers. German industry and financial associations are announcing a ,,financial conference for the North African and Middle East region", which is to address ,,operative inquiries"concerning ,,export and investment plans in that region."The German economic expansion is to be coordinated with military policy plans. Since the corresponding markets ,,are partially burdened with specific security risks", it is indicated that the event ,,will be conducted in direct cooperation with the Munich conference for security policy."The annual conference serves to coordinate the security and defense plans of the western industrial states.

Reinier Zwiserloot, Chm of the BASF subsidiary Wintershall, informed the German chancellor, following his trip to Libya, that the German company ,,wants to explore and promote Libyan natural gas on a large scale."Wintershall, with its 1.2 billion dollars investment in the petroleum sector, currently is one of the leading foreign producers in North Africa and plans further investments totaling 400 million dollars. The recently announced natural gas cooperation with the NOC will be modeled on the ,,partnership"with the Russian gas monopoly Gazprom 1)and shall secure Wintershall's marketing of Libyan natural gas in Europe. Thus, according to Wintershall, it is possible to become less dependent on Russian natural gas.

Privileged

The German-Libyan energy cooperation will be supplemented by further lucrative contracts for German companies. The parliamentary secretary of state of the federal economic ministry, Ditmar Staffelt, signed an accord for cooperation which would provide the German Siemens corporation with contracts of approximately 180 million Euro in the electricity sector. At the 7th German-Libyan economic forum at the end of November in Tripoli, the German companies intend to extend their competitive advantage in the Libyan market. The heads of governments of Spain, Italy and Great Britain had visited Tripoli already prior to Chancellor Schroeder, and had negotiated appropriate privileges for their national companies. According to Berlin's diplomats, Berlin considers itself in a privileged position since, currently, Libya is the location with the majority of German investments in all of North Africa.

Close

The Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP - Foundation for science and policy) writes in a recently published study that the re-rapprochement between Tripoli and Berlin, i.e. Brussels, began in the second half of the 1990s and resulted in the 1999 admission of Libya as observer in the ,,Euro-Mediterranean partnership process."In addition, Berlin is interested in Tripoli because of its decisive role in the integration of Africa which, since 1999, constitutes a major focus of Libyan foreign policy. Thus, the official establishment of the African Union (AU), considered by Berlin a partner in the emplementation of Germany's Africa plans, is based to a major extent on the Libyan engagement. The Pan-African parliament, which is modeled after the European parliament , was established in the Libyan city Mirte in March of 2001. President Gaddhafi's naming of the US educated, neo-liberal economist Shukri Ghanem as prime minister in June of 2003, was an important decision for the rapprochement of Libya to the western industrial states. The German chancellor explains that at the moment Libya should ,,move as closely as possible toward Europe."

Suitable

The Bundesverband der Deutschen Industrie (BDI - federal league of German industry) confirms that the sought after commitment is to be secured militarily and with arms technology. Accordingly, the BDI and the Bundesverband der Deutschen Banken (BdB - federal league of German banks) are planning to conduct a ,,financial conference for the North African and Middle East region"in Munich on February 11, 2005, immediately following the annual ,,security conference."Consultation will take place in ,,direct cooperation with the Munich conference for security policy."The BDI states that the goal is to promote ,,plans for exports (?) as well as strategies to mobilize capital from that region for investment in Germany."Libya and the Northwest African states are considered suitable customers for military technology products which, among other things, can be utilized against African migration.

Shaping

The immediate cooperation between the civilian industrial leagues and the armaments industry for the purpose of subordinating North Africa to the western industrial states in both of those areas, had been demanded at this year's ,,security conference"by the German foreign minister. Within just a few months, the transparent inclusion of the BDI in the implementation of this plan will take shape as a merger of civilian economic and armaments policy strategies of Germany's foreign policy in Northwest Africa.

1) see also BASF: Access to the largest energy reserves of the worldand A powerful presence in the British energy market

Sources:
Finanzierungskonferenz Nordafrika Mittelost. Absicherung von Exportvorhaben steht im Mittelpunkt; Pressemitteilung des BDI 01.10.2004
Wie umgehen mit dem ,,neuen Gaddafi"? Chancen und Risiken der libysch-europaeischen Annaeherung; SWP-Aktuell Oktober 2004
Kooperationsabkommen zwischen Libyen und Deutschland im Elektrizitaetssektor unterzeichnet; www.libyen-news.de 15.10.2004
Wintershall will in Libyen auch Gas foerdern; Handelsblatt 18.10.2004
7. Deutsch-Libysches Wirtschaftsforum 28.-30. November 2004 in Tripolis, Libyen; www.afrikaverein.de


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