Afghanistan

While in Kabul, Amb. Mernier met on 27 May with the First Vice President of Afghanistan, Mr Ahmad Zia Massoud, who underlined the importance of reliable energy supply for his country’s social and economic development. A major priority for the Afghan government is to support the rehabilitation and construction of energy infrastructure, and here the framework provided by the Energy Charter can make a tangible contribution.

In this context, Mr Massoud emphasised the value of Afghanistan's accession to the Energy Charter Treaty and indicated that the Government would soon ask the Energy Charter Treaty’s member states for Afghanistan’s full accession to the Treaty.

The Afghan authorities welcomed in particular the commitment of Central and Southern Asian countries to use the Energy Charter as a means to intensify and develop regional electricity trade, as expressed in the outcome of a meeting in Bishkek in April 2007, organised by the Energy Charter together with the Government of Kyrgyzstan (see in particular the Bishkek Declaration on Promoting Cross-Border Electricity Trade between Central and Southern Asia agreed at this meeting). Mr Massood said that the Afghan Government will invite participants to attend a follow-up meeting in Kabul in September 2007.

Afghanistan became an observer to the Energy Charter Conference in August 2006 with the signature of the 1991 Energy Charter declaration at a ceremony in Kabul. Since then the Government of Afghanistan, assisted by the Secretariat, has been preparing the ground for Afghanistan's full accession to the 1994 Energy Charter Treaty.

Pakistan

While in Islamabad, Amb. Mernier met on 31 May with Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and with the Minister of Petroleum and Natural Resources Amanullah Khan Jadoon; Prime Minister Aziz emphasised Pakistan’s commitment to reliable energy supply for the country’s rapidly growing economy, and that Pakistan would look to boost both domestic sources of supply, including renewables, as well as new channels for imported energy.

The Secretary General said that the Energy Charter could assist Pakistan in meeting these objectives, by mitigating risks associated with cross-border investment and trade, and welcomed the close cooperation that the Energy Charter Process enjoys with the Pakistani authorities.

Pakistan’s request to accede to the Energy Charter Treaty was approved unanimously by the Energy Charter’s governing body, the Energy Charter Conference, at its 17th Meeting in November 2006. Pakistan will legally become a party to the Energy Charter Treaty and member of the Energy Charter Conference 90 days after the receipt of notification that Pakistan has completed its own procedures for accession and ratification.