OSCE workshop in Ashgabat promotes principles of energy diplomacy

ASHGABAT, 17 March 2011 – Participants in an OSCE-organized workshop that started today in Ashgabat will discuss how energy diplomacy and international co-operation can strengthen energy security.

Twenty-five representatives of Turkmenistan’s oil, gas, energy, economic and financial sectors and academia are taking part in the two-day event, organized by the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat in co-operation with Turkmenistan’s Foreign Ministry and the Vienna-based Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA).

“Turkmenistan’s call for international co-operation in promoting energy security is very much in harmony with the principles developed in the OSCE,” said Declan Greenway, the Officer-in-Charge of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat.

“This workshop marks another step in our joint efforts to address security issues. It contributes to national capacity-building and increases Turkmenistan's ability to further promote energy security.”

International experts from Austria, the Russian Federation and the United Kingdom will discuss the interactions of governments and energy-related companies from the historical, geopolitical and economic points of view during the workshop.

The agenda also includes pricing mechanisms for oil and gas commodities, the role of futures trading and investment banks and carbon emission trading schemes. The workshop will also address possible transformations of the energy mix and the impact of the global economic crisis on the energy market. Participants will discuss case studies to examine the role of international energy agencies and regional aspects of energy diplomacy.

“We hope that this workshop, which enhances dialogue on energy-related issues, will be followed by more OSCE co-hosted training events in Turkmenistan. We also hope that this pilot activity can serve as a model for replication in other countries,” said Richard Wheeler, OCEEA Energy Adviser.