Ο
n July 13, the Energy Charter in cooperation
with the Ministry of Energy and Industry of Albania and the Secretariat of the
Union for the Mediterranean organized in Tirana the 4th international
meeting of experts on reliable and stable transit of energy.
This one-day workshop, which was opened by
Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama, mainly focused on the regional cooperation
and integration of energy markets in the Euro-Mediterranean region, common
rules and principles for the construction and operation of energy transport
infrastructure, the promotion of investments into cross-border and transit
energy infrastructure as well as physical security of pipelines and grids.
IENE’s Research Associate Mr. Dimitrios
Mezartasoglou actively participated in the workshop proceedings and contributed
a presentation in the context of the Institute’s brief of monitoring and
analyzing latest developments in the wider region. More specifically, Mr.
Mezartasoglou’s contribution focused on key energy issues in South-East Europe
and the necessity for regional energy cooperation through
a smooth transition process. He also raised the issue of the absence of
well-defined common energy policy objectives in SE Europe and the proliferation
of regional energy policy organisations over recent years, posing the question
whether all these are necessary. In addition, Mr. Mezartasoglou’s participation
was especially relevant and timely, as IENE is currently in the process of
completing its major reference study "SE Europe Energy Outlook 2016” to be
released later this year.
The workshop attracted interest, among others,
from Energy Ministries of Albania, Jordan, Turkmenistan, the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy as well as the Ministry
of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of Bosnia and Herzegovina.