Turkmenistan is the NEW CHAIRMAN of the Energy Charter Conference. Keeping in view Turkmenistan’s contribution in terms of energy cooperation within the region and beyond, its diversified but integrated energy policies for achieving energy security, diversification of energy, saving of energy, supply of energy, Turkmenistan was unanimously elected Chairman of the Energy Charter Conference for 2017, at a meeting of the Conference held in Tokyo on 25-26 November 2016. It assumed chairmanship in January 2017 and in this capacity Turkmenistan will host the next session of the Energy Charter Conference.
According to President H.E. Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov:
“Chairmanship of Turkmenistan at the Energy Charter Conference in 2017 will contribute to the development of effective long-term models for international cooperation in the energy sector, based on a balance of interests of all parties involved”.
Its contributory chairmanship at the Energy Charter Conference in 2017 will further strengthen the pace of development of effective long-term models for international cooperation in the energy sector, based on a balance of interests of all parties involved.
Chairman Turkmenistan has a unique concept for the Energy Charter Conference which emphases on further enlargement of geography and multi-dimensional energy flows/ supplies ensuring their consistency and security of the international transit of energy on an equal and fair basis which is the need of the hour to maintain price stability at regional as well as international energy markets. It includes energy proficiency/ optimal utility and saving, introduction and implementation of modern and smarter technologies, the ecological balancing and the use of renewable sources of energy (solar, wind, thermal), beneficial energy investments, friendly government policies for the development of renewables and principles of economic and commercial viability of investments in the energy sector, their protection and efficiency. The drafted concept also focuses on international transit of energy on equal and fair basis and improvement of efficiency of capital investments and their protection in the regional as well as international energy policies, programs and markets.
Areas of Concept
The areas of the Concept include energy efficiency and conservation, introduction of innovative technologies, the environmental aspect and the use of renewable sources of energy, principles of economic and commercial viability of investments in the energy sector, their protection and efficiency.
Achieving of Sustainable Energy
Moreover, key topics, findings and recommendations concerning international cooperation on sustainable energy will be summarized and presented in the final document of the 28th session of the Energy Charter Conference. For its international media projection a program of international events will be held in Ashgabat, Brussels, New York, Beijing, Hong Kong and Tehran. The Belgian capital will host ten internal organizational meetings of the Energy Charter Secretariat. It will be a comprehensive exercise/ program which will provide and arrange media forums, conferences, meetings with representatives of the media and special training seminars in Turkmenistan and abroad. Subject material, information from events held in Ashgabat and other cities of the world on international energy is planned to be published on a special website.
Chairmanship of Turkmenistan
Being Chairman of Energy Charter Conference Turkmenistan clearly recognizes existing energy challenges and opportunities. It endorses international energy initiatives and is willing to contribute to the global energy dialogue and further strengthening of international energy cooperation. Being one of the largest natural gas producers in the world, Turkmenistan considers global energy cooperation and dialogue on energy security to be a high priority for the sake of stability and peace. During the Chairmanship in the Energy Charter Conference in 2017, Turkmenistan in accordance with the recently adopted Concept of the Chairmanship will be focusing on the following areas:
i. Diversification of energy supply sources and routes as a prerequisite for global energy security.
ii. The role of energy efficiency, energy saving, and innovative technologies, as part of the international energy dialogue and knowledge exchange.
iii. Promotion and integration of renewable energy sources to encourage sustainable development.
iv. Reliability and stability of intentional energy transit flows to balance the interests of producing, consuming and transit states.
v. Promotion and protection of energy investments to ensure a sustainable future.
Turkmenistan: A Hub of Intellectualism
Turkmenistan has become hub of international energy conferences during which most important issues for further development of the global energy resources market, development and introduction of the latest technologies, and the ways and means of development of oil and gas industry are thoroughly discussed.
Turkmenistan’s Comprehensive Plans
In the Energy charter conference in Ashgabat all important issues of regional as well as global energy cooperation will be discussed. Moreover, Turkmenistan has comprehensive plans to achieve the goals of energy charter conference 2017. Turkmenistan has proved itself as a reliable and promising partner in international cooperation by confirming its status as one of the largest suppliers of gas to the world market. Ashgabat’s plans to diversify the country’s energy export partners into Europe, Asia and Middle East. TAPI is the prime example of its friendly energy policies towards all the regional countries.
Draft Concept of Energy Charter Conference
Turkmenistan’s government has now presented its “Draft Concept of Energy Charter Conference” which is the extension of its national energy policy. One of the salient features of Turkmenistan’s national energy policy is regional cooperation and liaison with international organizations for achieving greater energy security, sustainably and efficiency. It is blessed with unlimited energy reservoirs which it plans to utilize for the greater regional prosperity, peace and development.
Turkmenistan’s Liaison with International Organizations
Draft concept of energy charter conference clearly shows Turkmenistan’s liaison with international organizations in different fields mainly sustainable development, sustainable transport system, and millennium development goals. Turkmenistan has achieved recognition of a reliable international partner at international level because of progressive foreign policy of President H.E. Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov whose main aspect is international energy cooperation. It reaffirms that energy diplomacy of Turkmenistan is successful which was always distinguished by active position and interest in search for new and efficient solutions, finds broad response among the representatives of the world business and expert community.
Turkmenistan’s Energy Diversification Policies
One of the priorities of Turkmenistan’s energy policy is the diversification of its gas export including construction of the 300-kilometer Trans-Caspian gas pipeline, which will annually transport 30 billion cubic meters of gas via Azerbaijan to Europe. The negotiations on the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline between the EU, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan began in September 2011.
Turkmenistan Blessed with Natural Reservoirs
Turkmenistan has substantial reserves of hydrocarbon resources on land and in the Turkmen sector of the Caspian Sea. Currently, an estimated at 71.2 billion tons of oil equivalent are confirmed by international experts. 70 percent of these relates to gaseous hydrocarbon resources.
Turkmenistan’s Future Energy Plans
Turkmenistan has concrete and comprehensive plans for further energy cooperation, development of renewables (alternative source of energy), reduction of high carbon footnotes, climate change, energy saving, energy security, energy efficiency by introducing new modern technologies, energy investments and stability of international energy markets in order to meet the growing global demand for energy and improvement of the investment climate in the member countries of Energy Charter; to involve other countries to the Charter during its chairmanship of energy charter conference 2017.
Turkmenistan’s Regional Energy Cooperation Plans
The government of Turkmenistan is taking all possible measures for the further strengthening of regional energy cooperation with other countries. It is also suggested that there should be a strict observance of the international standards and standards in which the ecological aspect shall act as priority in all the large-scale projects on ensuring global energy security.
Turkmenistan attaches great importance to the development of targeted mechanisms in the issues of global energy strategy. Turkmenistan and the Energy Charter Secretariat are already holding negotiations at the expert level to develop an international legal document regulating the rights and obligations of producers, transit countries and consumers of energy resources.
Secretary General of the Energy Charter
Secretary General of the Energy Charter Secretariat Urban Rusnak said that Turkmenistan, possessing one of the world’s largest energy potential, is seeking to build a sustainable architecture of global energy security based on the principles of justice, respect for the balance of interests of both producer countries and transit countries, as well as consumers.
Turkmenistan’s Energy Bounties
According to BP, Turkmenistan ranks fourth in the world in terms of the volume of natural gas reserves. The country’s recoverable reserves are estimated at 17.5 trillion cubic meters of gas, or 9 percent of the total world reserve that puts the country on the fourth place after Iran, Russia and Qatar.
President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov’s Strategic Vision
During Turkmenistan’s Cabinet of Ministers meeting President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov signed the resolution which created the organizing committee to project its presidency at the Conference on the Energy Charter 2017, locally as well as internationally. Moreover, its structure has also been approved.
According to the resolution, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is advised to create together with the Energy Charter the concept of presidency of Turkmenistan in 2017 on Conferences on the Energy Charter, and also the agenda and the program of the international actions which are coming in Turkmenistan and abroad. It also offers the State Committee on television, broadcasting and cinematography and the state news agency to highlight these actions at the high level in national, regional and global mass media.
In 2007 at the 62nd session of General Assembly of the UN the President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov pledged the creation of the new international legal mechanism on ensuring energy security. In 2008 and 2013 of the UN special resolutions on reliable and stable transit of energy carriers on the world markets were adopted, in them the basic principles and approaches to development of constructive partnership in this sphere were stated.
Since, Turkmenistan has become ideal hub of energy conferences it has been dealing with the largest international organizations for the further energy cooperation. In December, 2014 together with this structure the Ashgabat Forum “Reliable and Stable Transit of Energy Carriers” was held, and also the first international meeting of experts in this subject was arranged. Profile meetings of experts took place also in 2015 in Brussels (Belgium) and Beijing (China), and in 2016 in Tirana (Albania).
International Energy Charter Conference
The International Energy Charter Conference aims to reflect on issues in world’s energy sector; to review the implementation of the provisions of the Energy Charter Treaty and the Protocol on Energy Efficiency and Related Environmental Aspects, and to consider possible new instruments and joint activities within the Energy Charter framework.
Beside Iran, Iraq, Guatemala, and three international organizations namely G5 Sahel, the East African Community, and the Economic Community of Central African States signed the declaration document and therefore became observers to the Energy Charter. With Iran joining the organization, the overall number of countries and organizations that are a member of the International Energy Charter extends to 80.
Inter-Governmental Organisation
The Energy Charter Conference, an inter-governmental organisation, is the governing and decision-making body for the Energy Charter process, and was established by the 1994 Energy Charter Treaty.
Responsibilities of Members States
All states or Regional Economic International Organisations who have signed or acceded to the Treaty are members of the Conference, which meets on a regular basis to discuss issues affecting energy cooperation, to review the implementation of the provisions of the Energy Charter Treaty and the Protocol on Energy Efficiency and Related Environmental Aspects, and to consider possible new instruments and joint activities within the Energy Charter framework.
Turkmenistan: A Founding Member
Turkmenistan is one of the founders of the Energy Charter and chairing of Turkmenistan is aimed at development and consolidation of international energy cooperation, establishment of quality new ground for discussion of topical issues of the development of the world energy, provision of the global energy security as integral part of universal sustainable development in the context of practical realization of relative Resolution, which was initiated by President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and adopted by the UN General Assembly.
Chairmanship of Turkmenistan at energy charter conference pledges its enormous natural resources for the welfare of humanity, realizing the policy based on the principles of combined modernization of fuel and energy complex and diversification of energy supplies to the world markets.
Turkmenistan considerably increased production rates of fuel and energy resources. Moreover, transport routes of energy have been diversified and the role of Turkmenistan in supply of energy to the world market grows and determines the level of its geopolitical influence. It has also adopted policy of “diversification of transport infrastructure”, which enables to supply energy resources via ramified network of multiple-choice pipeline system. Thanks to energy policies of Turkmenistan which stipulates integrated development of energy cooperation not only between the countries suppliers, transit and consumer countries but interested parties and international organizations including the UN and the Energy Charter as well.
Concluding Remarks
Under the visionary leadership of the President H.E. Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov Turkmenistan is promoting cooperation with the major international organizations and has hosted many interactive multilateral events and seminars which highlighted the importance of energy cooperation. It is hoped that being Chairman of the Energy Charter Conference, Turkmenistan would give additional impetus to mutually beneficial cooperation and would promote establishment of global dialog in energy security. It would achieve set targets in consolidation of the efforts aimed at development of new approaches to the issues of energy security and sustainable development in general. It would further consolidate Turkmenistan’s role in energy cooperation. It would also establish stable structure of the global energy security, which is built on the principles of justice, balance of interests of both supplying countries and transit countries and consumers.
