The Energy Charter Conference held its 19th meeting in Athens on 28 November 2008, with a particular focus on the challenges facing international energy markets as with the global economic slowdown and on the growing importance of energy transit countries.

The Energy Charter Conference is the intergovernmental decision-making body for the Energy Charter process. Among the main highlights of this meeting were the approval of a request by the Arab Republic of Egypt and by the Palestinian National Authority to become Observers to the Energy Charter Conference, and a high-level discussion on the growing importance of energy transit countries.

In his keynote address to the Conference entitled "Bridges and Routes from Producers to Consumers," Minister of Development of Greece Christos Folias said, "In the modern international economic environment, energy security is a prerequisite for the competitiveness of national economies, and is therefore a priority of utmost importance for governments."

On 14 November 2008 the EU and Russia held their 22nd Summit in Nice. Among the topics covered in the course of discussions were energy security and climate change concerns, especially in the context of the looming financial and economic crisis.

On the sidelines of the EU-Russia Summit the 7th meeting of the "Club de Nice" Forum on the issue of "Energy and Geopolitics" was held. It was attended by related industrialists, top executives of national and international administrations, and experts in economics and international relations from France, other European Union countries and Russia.

At the 2nd Kyiv Security Forum "Black-Caspian Sea Region and European Energy Security" on 6 November 2008, discussion focused on important energy security challenges facing countries in Europe and beyond, and on the more efficient ways of managing the interdependence between energy producers and consumers to the mutual benefit of all parties along the energy value chain.

Below is the text of the speech delivered at the Forum by the Energy Charter's Deputy Secretary General Amb. Vladimir Rakhmanin.

"Countries around the world will need massive investments in sustainable energy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while promoting economic development and energy security. The Energy Charter Treaty provides a solid basis to support these investments," said Energy Charter Secretary General André Mernier in his speech at the opening of the Conference, Implementing Energy Efficiency Policy: National and International Opportunities, in Sofia, Bulgaria, on 29 October 2008. The Conference was organised by the Bulgarian Energy Efficiency Agency and the Energy Charter Secretariat with the support of the Ministry of Economy and Energy and the Energy Commission of the Parliament of Bulgaria.

(2008) This study looks at different aspects of taxation along the oil and gas supply chain from upstream to downstream.

(2008) This report looks at the effect of LNG trade development on energy security and provides an outlook for several LNG regions.

(2008) The Energy Charter has completed a progress in-depth review of energy efficiency in Bulgaria.

(2008) This Regular Review was prepared by the Albanian authorities.