World Energy Council expanding its involvement in Russian forums

March 5, 2018
Adviser to the President of the Russian Federation Anton Kobyakov held a meeting in Moscow with World Energy Council (WEC) Secretary General Christoph Frei. The WEC head stressed that Russia today is a stabilizing factor in the global energy balance. He also noted the substantial work carried out by Russia to increase the efficient use of domestic energy resources and introduce advanced global practices to implement public policy in the development of energy and improved energy efficiency.

The officials discussed topical issues concerning Russia’s interaction with the WEC. They agreed to sign an agreement on the development of cooperation between the Roscongress Foundation and the WEC at forums, specifically the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, and Russian Energy Week in Moscow. In particular, they discussed the possibility of holding joint specialized sessions on the development of the energy industry, the introduction of blockchain technologies in the energy sector, and the efficient use of energy resources. In addition, they discussed the format of the awards ceremony for the WEC’s international prize ‘Start Up Energy Transition Award’.

Mr. Kobyakov noted that Russia is a co-founder of the WEC and has been a leading participant in its activities for more than 60 years. “The unique nature of the WEC allows us to develop joint solutions based on the experience of specialists from more than 90 countries. Today, we need to better navigate the volatile environment of the energy sector and respond quickly to existing challenges. We need up-to-date information and new ideas, and we need national and international platforms for dialogue. Russia as a global leader in the international energy agenda is opened for a dialogue between the world’s energy leaders and ready to provide these platforms to industry world leaders,” Mr. Kobyakov said.

During his working visit to Russia, WEC Secretary General Christoph Frei also met with Russian Minister of Energy Alexander Novak. The officials mulled possible projects for the training of young specialists in the energy sector, in particular discussing the participation of representatives of the Youth Group of the WEC Russian National Committee in the WEC Future Energy Leaders Summit.
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