INOGATE energy program events held in Yerevan

PanARMENIAN.Net - INOGATE and Energy Community Information Event was held on October 26 in Yerevan, followed by a Round Table on ‘EU-Armenia Cooperation in the Fields of Energy Market Convergence and Security of Supply’, co-organized by the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources of the Republic of Armenia, the INOGATE Technical Secretariat and the Energy Community Secretariat, reported the press office of the Delegation of European Union to Armenia.

Mr. Levon Shahverdyan, Deputy Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of the Republic of Armenia, in his keynote address, emphasized that the already strong energy partnership between Armenia and the EU is being further reinforced through cooperation in energy security and in new areas of energy efficiency and renewable energy sources.

Mr. Philip Mikos, representative of the European Commission in charge of Regional Programs, Neighborhood East, confirmed that “the EU attaches great importance to the development of the energy sector in the European Neighborhood countries and is committed to stepping up the energy cooperation with Armenia to improve market integration and energy security.”

Both events gave the opportunity for information exchange to reinforce Armenia’s participation in the INOGATE Program, an EU-funded program promoting international energy cooperation between the European Union and its Partner Countries in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia, of which the Republic of Armenia is one of the founding members.

Recent INOGATE support to Armenia was highlighted at the events as follows: technical support to energy regulatory practices; support for the introduction of technical standards and practices in the oil, gas and electricity sectors; assistance in emission reduction projects and carbon trading; recommendations on methodologies for calculation of tariffs for gas transportation and transmission; capacity building in energy audit analysis for project funding; guidelines for mini-hydro feasibility study evaluation; and technical assistance to energy saving in the building sector.

The events also served to promote the ongoing cooperation between Armenia and the Energy Community, to which Armenia became an observer earlier this month. The Energy Community Treaty has been developed by the EU to extend the EU’s integrated energy market to South East Europe and beyond on the ground of a legally binding framework. In this way, it provides a stable investment environment and contributes to security of supply in wider Europe. Ukraine and Moldova are two INOGATE Partner Countries that have already joined the Energy Community.

The events were attended by a wide range of energy stakeholders, including government, industry, international financial institutions and civil society representatives. The opinions expressed by the participants will feed into the support strategy of the INOGATE Programme for the benefit of Armenia, with a specific focus on developing policies and actions for energy efficiency and renewable energy sources, and for increasing energy security and market convergence.