This was the message from President Musharraf of Pakistan to Secretary General André Mernier during a meeting in Brussels on 12 September.

Pakistan became an observer to the Energy Charter Conference in December 2005, with its signature of the 1991 Energy Charter Declaration. A decision to invite Pakistan to become the 53rd member of the Energy Charter will be on the agenda of the Charter’s governing body - the Energy Charter Conference - at its next meeting in Brussels on 20 November.

Speaking at the meeting in Brussels, Mr Mernier said that Pakistan’s strategic geographical position and political weight would give it a pivotal role in the Energy Charter, and welcomed Pakistan’s commitment to the Charter and to international energy security.

Accession to the Energy Charter Treaty is considered by the Charter Conference on the basis of three reports which assess the acceding country’s compliance with the provisions of the Energy Charter Treaty and the Protocol on Energy Efficiency.

The reports relating to accession by Pakistan have been prepared in 2006 by the Government of Pakistan with the assistance of the Energy Charter Secretariat. A seconded expert working with the Secretariat, Mr Mohammad Ali Raza, has acted as the main liaison with the Pakistani authorities in Islamabad.

The Secretariat intends to make information on the investment climate in Pakistan’s energy sector available in a special country review publication; this should be available on the Energy Charter’s web site in early 2007.