On 30-31 May 2017, the Government of Turkmenistan and International Energy Charter jointly organised the Ashgabat International Energy Charter Forum in Turkmenistan on the topic of “Towards a Multilateral Framework Agreement on Transit of Energy Resources”. Over 100 participants including Ministers, high-level officials and leading experts from member and observer countries of the International Energy Charter, international organisations, energy companies and research institutions participated in the Forum.

The Forum aimed at discussing the issues of transit and cross-border transportation of energy resources, including natural gas, oil and electricity. The representatives of the governments and international organisations highlighted the complexity of ensuring the security of energy transit, and the need for establishing clear and consistent principles of multilateral cooperation among the participants. They also noted the importance of international energy cooperation for achieving global energy security and implementing the Sustainable Development Goals.

The participants of the event highly appreciated the efforts of the Government of Turkmenistan and the International Energy Charter to promote a multilateral instrument on energy transit with a view to achieve a balance of interests of exporting countries, consumers and transit countries.

Welcoming remarks by:

1. Mr. Maksat Babayev, Chairman of the Energy Charter Conference, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan; See speech

2. Dr. Urban Rusnak, Secretary General of the International Energy Charter; See speech

3. Video address by Mr. Maroš Šefčovič, Vice-President for Energy Union, the European Commission. See speech    

 

Session 1: Natural Gas Markets: Cross-border Transport and Transit  

1. Mr. Peter Dvorak, State advisor, Ministry of Economy of the Slovak Republic; See presentation 

2. Mr. Joseph Murphy, Vice President-Southern Corridor, BP; 

3. Mr. Muhammetmyrat Amanov, executive director of “TAPI Pipeline Company Limited” 

4. Mr. Reza Haidari, Senior Energy Adviser, Ministry of Energy and Water Resources of Afghanistan; 

 

Session 2: Increasing role of LNG in global energy security 

1. Mr. Sun Xiansheng, Secretary General of the International Energy Forum; 

2. Mr. Yoshikazu Kobayashi, Senior Economist and manager of Gas Group Institute of Energy Economics of Japan; See presentation

3. Mr. Muhammetnur Halylov, Director of Scientific Research Institute of natural gas of the “Turkmengas” State Concern; See presentation

 

Session 3: Bringing oil to market

1. Dr. Reha Aykul Muratoğlu, Head of Transit Petroleum Pipelines Department, Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources of Turkey; See presentation

2. Dr. Rafael Leal-Arcas, Professor of European and International Economic Law, Queen Mary University of London; See presentation

3. Ms. Klara Rakhmetova, Vice-chair of the Energy Charter Implementation Group, “Kazenergy”; See presentation

4. Ms. Anna Maisuradze, Ministry of Energy of Georgia; See presentation

 

Session 4: Cross-border Electricity Trade and Sustainable Development

1. Mr. Charymurat Purchekov, Minister of Energy of Turkmenistan, Vice Chairman of the Energy Charter Conference; See presentation

2. Ms. Sarin Abado, E-Control, Austria; See presentation

3. Mr. Michael Delphia, Deloitte Consulting LLP, USAID Energy Links Project; See presentation

4. Mr. Khamidulla Shamsiev, Director of Coordination and Dispatch Centre “Energiya”. See presentation