The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, arrived in Berlin on Wednesday to fulfill an extensive high-level agenda in Germany, which includes meetings with businessmen and the possible signing of new agreements in various strategic areas.
As reported by the Colombian Presidency, Petro “will seek to strengthen the relationship between both nations and sign agreements” in sectors such as: industry, renewable energy, green hydrogen production, trade and culture.
On the president’s agenda is a meeting with presidents of gas production, energy, infrastructure, steel, telecommunications and other areas, which has been organized by the Federal Association of German Industry.
Similarly, he will meet with the German head of state, Frank-Walter Steinmeier; the chancellor, Olaf Scholz; and with directors of parliament “to strengthen relations between the two countries.”
During his stay in Germany, the Presidency detailed, Petro will sign a memorandum of understanding to promote the production and use of hydrogen in Colombia.
In addition, it will also sign the agreement for the repatriation to Colombia of some Kogui indigenous masks, belonging to the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, which are in a German museum.
“Substantial Import Savings”
Upon his arrival, Petro declared to the press about one of the most important points to be discussed in Germany and that is the intention to replace imports of fossil fuels with clean energy.
«Green hydrogen has potential in the use of transport, from small cars to trains (…) Anything that is replacing fossil fuels, call it diesel, gasoline, natural gas, by clean energy sources, call it electricity, the most general, but there may be others, it would automatically imply substantial import savings, which is one of the objectives we are seeking,” he commented.
Petro considered that the story has been set up that the South American country is “a great oil exporter, but the other side of the story is not told, and that is that between 20 and 40% of the gasoline consumed in all of Colombia It’s imported.”
This import, the president added, has already produced for the country, “by mistake, by bad administration,” a “tax gap” that in his administration’s calculations “is close to 50 million pesos (almost $12,000) for end of this year.”
«What we have done so far is to stop the growth of that gap, now it is time to pay for it. So, undoubtedly, a reduction in gasoline consumption would be very favorable,” added Petro. with RT