In a joint statement, after their meeting this Friday in the city of Berlin, the President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, and the Chancellor of Germany, Olaf Scholz, announced the launch of a new stage in the economic relations of the two countries. , which, from now on, will focus on green hydrogen and clean energy.
In this regard, the Colombian Head of State declared: “We have discussed green hydrogen as a concrete option” and the “possibility of bringing the two countries together in something profoundly innovative and also at the forefront of innovation: green hydrogen, undoubtedly , which, as you have rightly said, could, if successful, completely replace the oil industry, the extraction of oil and gas in the world”.
In his statement, President Petro stressed that South America has enormous potential to produce green hydrogen, and that in the region Colombia is the country with the greatest capacity to generate it, because it has three fundamental elements: water, wind and sun.
He announced that, as a result of his visit to Germany, the two governments have formed a work team between “the German and Colombian Ministries of Energy, to land the proposal, which will have to be operationalized by private and public, German and Colombian companies, so that, at least, we are at the forefront and start processes”.
He emphasized that it is no longer weapons or coal “what brings us together”, but “the salvation of life on the planet, which I believe is much more important.”
In his turn, the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, asserted that “we are going to work very closely on the issue of green hydrogen. Towards the year 2040, we in Germany have committed to implement clean energy”, for which we require “green hydrogen supply and we need to find partners worldwide and Colombia will be one of those partners”.
Colombian-German alliance
It should be remembered that, within the framework of President Petro’s visit to Germany, the two countries sealed an Alliance for a Just Energy Transition, which will focus on strengthening initiatives, networks and projects between Colombia and Germany to achieve greater climate protection. , the environment, biodiversity, water, the restoration of ecosystems and the transformation to models of sustainable and resilient economic and productive development.
In this sense, as reported by the Colombian Foreign Ministry, our country has presented to Germany, at the highest level, the aspiration to achieve significant cooperation, which allows offsetting coal exports (approximately USD 10 billion), mobilizing financing to move towards the production and export of clean fuels, including green hydrogen and its derivatives.
debt swap
On the other hand, at the press conference, the Colombian Head of State reported that during the summit on financing the fight against climate change to be held next week in Paris, Colombia will request the formation of a team of experts to advance in his proposal to swap foreign debt for climate action.
“We had a long conversation about the possibilities of exchanging public debt for climate action. The Federal Chancellor has promised to study this further. We want that at the summit that is going to be held, starting Tuesday, Wednesday, in Paris, which has to do with the financing architecture of the fight against the climate crisis, at least a team of experts will come out, that, facing COP29, I could work on a deep, concrete proposal, looking at all the aspects that this possibility implies on a global scale”, said President Petro.
The president recalled that this proposal by his government has already been supported by South America and the United States, led by President Joe Biden, while Africa is analyzing it.
“We take the proposal to Paris next week. We would like this German reflection to end up accompanying us in something that could be the great leap, the first leap forward for humanity, to face its main problem, ”he said.
Dual nationality under debate
On the possibility that Colombians who seek to acquire German nationality do not lose their Colombian origin, the Head of State indicated that this requires a constitutional reform that is being debated in that European country.
“We, obviously, would applaud that the result of this debate is that one does not have to sacrifice one’s citizenship of origin, if German citizenship is acquired, in accordance with German regulations,” he said.
For his part, German Chancellor Olaf Sholz reiterated that “multiple nationality” requires a constitutional reform that “will be resolved this year.”
A museum in Santa Marta
Meanwhile, at the press conference, President Petro referred to the repatriation of the two masks belonging to the Kogui communities of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, an issue on which he stated that it should be this town that defines its future.
“The Kogui community will resolve the course of what happens with these masks. I would like a museum in Santa Marta, but that is my idea; we must wait for the idea from them, ”she concluded.