News

Challenges of international cooperation and the rules governing international energy trade were high on the agenda at the 20th World Energy Congress, which took place in Rome on 11-15 November 2007.

The attached article by Secretary General André Mernier examines the relevance and role of the Energy Charter Treaty and the Charter's principles in today's energy world. It was published in October 2007 in the Journal 'Energy Technologies from Italy 2007' (www.energiaitalia.com)

Uzbekistan has ambitious plans to expand energy production and export, and sees foreign capital and expertise as an integral part of this strategy. This was the message passed by the Uzbek authorities to Secretary General André Mernier during his visit to Tashkent on 9-10 October 2007.

“Turkey is in many ways a model of what can be achieved through openness to foreign direct investment, and deserves credit for the reform programme that has been put in place for the energy sector,” said Secretary General André Mernier on 5 September 2007, presenting the Energy Charter’s In-depth Review of the Investment Climate and Market Structure of Turkey. A favourable investment climate will be crucial in meeting the energy demands of a growing Turkish economy, and Mr Mernier noted that ‘with a strong geographic position and a large domestic market to anchor investments, Turkey has all the assets to be a country of reference for regional developments in the energy sector.”

With increasing reliance in many countries on internationally traded oil and gas, the conditions under which oil and gas are transported and sold are an important component of overall energy security. A discussion of international pricing mechanisms for oil and gas continued on 8 June 2007 in Moscow at a seminar organised jointly by the Energy Charter Secretariat, the Russian Ministry of Industry and Energy, and Gazprom Export.

Secretary General André Mernier has held high-level meetings with the Afghan and Pakistani governments during a visit on 27-31 May, discussing how these countries’ association with the Energy Charter can promote regional energy projects and cross-border energy trade.

Speech by the Secretary General to the 60th Anniversary Session of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, special session on sustainable energy policies, Geneva, 27 April 2007.

Senior representatives of Energy Charter member states gathered in Brussels on 23 April for the first meeting of a new Strategy Group.