Acting Secretary-General, Ms. Atsuko Hirose, was invited to speak as one of the panelists at the Baku Energy Forum, taking place in the capital of the Republic of Azerbaijan on 6-7 June 2024.

During the panel entitled "Unlocking Sustainable Energy: Green Energy Potential in the Caspian Region," which included co-panelists such as the Deputy Minister of Energy of Azerbaijan, Mr Orkhan Zeynalov, and the Chief Executive Officer of WindEurope, Mr. Giles Dickson, Ms. Hirose explained that the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) is the only multilateral treaty which provides for long term international energy cooperation.  ECT is able to contribute to the acceleration in clean energy investments, which are indispensable for the achievement of the net-zero target of 2050/2060 especially in the emerging markets, by significantly de-risking foreign investments due to the investment protection it provides.  In particular, ECT is the only multilateral treaty to promote the principles of freedom of transit and non-discrimination, such as the national treatment for energy in transit and prohibition on interruption of energy flows, which are relevant for the Caspian region.