Joint efforts on enhancing cooperation to achieve security of energy supply and demand - this was one of the main topics of the BASREC Meeting of Energy Ministers, held in Berlin on 14-15 May 2012. Such meetings take place every three years with the aim of facilitating international dialogue on key issues of current energy policy in the Baltic Sea Region. This year's event focused on the integration of energy infrastructure in the Baltic Sea Region, expansion of renewable energy sources and raising energy efficiency. ECS Secretary General Urban Rusnák participated in this important meeting. He encouraged an intensive exchange of experience between BASREC and the Charter, particularly given the convergence of challenges and objectives of these two organisations.

Gas market and infrastructure developments in South-East Europe were the focus of the 27th International Scientific and Expert Meeting of Gas Professionals, which took place in Opatija, Croatia, on 9-11 May 2012. Participants were invited to discuss a range of diverse topics: new gas technologies based on smart systems, underground gas storage, market liberalisation, the link between the availability of new facilities, reliable gas supply and regional cooperation.

Secretary General Urban Rusnák attended the VII International Conference "Energy Dialogue: Russia-European Union - Gas Aspects", which took place in Brussels on 27 April 2012. This event was organised by Eurogas and the Russian Gas Society and was aimed at policy makers, public officials and community leaders, members of parliaments, international organisations, academia and energy companies from Russia and the EU. The Secretary General spoke on the topic "The Contribution of the Energy Charter to Energy Security on the Eurasian Continent".

Please click here for the text of the Secretary General's speech.

Secretary General Urban Rusnák was in Istanbul for the World Energy Leaders Summit on 19-20 April 2012. This is an event organised twice a year by the World Energy Council (WEC) for its global Energy Leaders community to enable ongoing high-level dialogue on critical issues affecting the energy world. The focus was on balancing energy security, social equity and environmental impact mitigation; the transition of natural gas markets and implications on geopolitics; financing issues for a low-carbon infrastructure as well as energy storage as a key to unlocking Turkey's potential as a renewable energy hub. The Summit was co-hosted by the Turkish Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources and WEC's Turkish National Member Committee.

The annual Flame conference, held this year on 16-20 April, brought together over 750 participants from the gas industry from all over the world, regulators, governments, international organisations, associations and academia. Secretary General Urban Rusnák spoke in the session on Achieving European Security of Supply. When evaluating the prospects of tightening supply and demand in Europe, Amb. Rusnák considered geopolitical, economic, technological and regulatory factors affecting the situation. He also pointed out that global energy trends indicated that most answers to European supply and demand questions lay outside Europe.