During a state visit to Jordan today, His Excellency Frank-Walter Steinmeier, President of the Federal Republic of Germany, took time out to visit the SESAME laboratory north-west of the capital Amman. In November last year, Germany announced its intention to become an Associate Member of SESAME, cementing the country’s already long-standing support for the Laboratory. At the end of his visit, the President signed the Laboratory’s guest book, in the company of SESAME Director Dr Khaled Toukan and young researchers from across the region: “I am fascinated by the succeeding cooperation of so many countries in the Middle East and worldwide. This important work of researchers shows what a treasure international cooperation to the benefit of all of us is. Germany continues to support this place of science in the years to come.”
Germany’s relationship with SESAME goes back to the origins of the laboratory. It was the donation of the BESSY I synchrotron that allowed the fledgling SESAME to establish itself as an intergovernmental organisation in 2004. BESSY I components today form the injector for the SESAME main ring accelerator. Germany has been an Observer to the SESAME Council since its establishment in 2004.
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Image: H.E. Frank-Walter Steinmeier and H.E. Khaled Toukan with the scientists at the ID11L-HESEB and ID11R-TXPES beamlines.
Credit: © SESAME 2026