RACVIAC – Centre for Security Cooperation is organizing the International Energy Security Seminar “Energy Security in the EU’s Neighbouring South-Eastern Countries”. The Seminar has been scheduled for 14 -15 June 2022 in Romania as a two-day event with panels and roundtables focused on the topics of interest. This event is a continuation of a series of activities organized previously by RACVIAC – Centre for Security Cooperation, and it is the sixth activity so far on this topic.
At the invitation of RACVIAC Romania officially assumed the role of a leading nation regarding energy security in the RACVIAC context and the coordination of the RACVIAC project on the respective topic in 2014. RACVIAC – Centre for Security Cooperation initiated a project on energy security that began in 2015, and continued in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 with 4 more seminars. The 2022 Seminar is being organized under the auspices of RACVIAC in cooperation with the Ministry of Energy of Romania, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania and with the help of the company CONPET S.A.
The 2022 Seminar will focus on the main issues that the South-Eastern European countries are facing in the field of energy security, taking into account the conclusions of the five previous events. A normal evolution toward the cooperation formats between the EU’s neighbouring South-Eastern countries (e.g., Energy Community and CESEC) and concrete solutions and measures to minimize the threats in energy supply have been taken into account. Special attention should be paid when it comes to the exchange of information regarding the state of play of the interconnections in the South-Eastern European countries, as well as the role of oil and alternative fuels in the process of diversification of the energy sources. The Seminar was opened by RACVIAC Director, MG (ret.) Jeronim Bazo and Mr. George – Sergiu Niculescu, Secretary of State, Ministry of Energy of Romania.
MG (ret.) Bazo said: “In accordance with RACVIAC mission to foster dialogue and cooperation on security matters in SEE region, we see this Seminar as an excellent opportunity for the further development of regional cooperation on Energy Security and to promote this issue through the exchange of experience and information sharing. The close regional and wider cooperation among SEE countries through dialogue and various forms of coordination is a strong response to todays’ challenges to security policy, leading to building of confidence and security among the countries and development of synergy among the activity participants.”
Mr. Niculescu, in his Opening address, emphasized: “This event provides an opportunity to address issues of mutual interest, to exchange information, review and explore areas of cooperation, leading us to new paths in which our countries can collaborate in the energy sector. Energy Security represents a growing challenge, even bigger than the need for strategic awareness regarding some regional and global trends. A global architecture calls for institutional coordination to promote synergies and avoid overlaps. Fighting for climate change should be a collaborative effort, and all nations must rise to the challenges by working, intelligently and diligently, together. After all, the threat of global change is a concern that knows no borders.”
He also mentioned that “the situation we are going through has turned into one of maximum tension in the region, including from the perspective of energy security and access to energy resources.” He added: “We face extremely serious challenges, which require more than ever solidarity and enhanced cooperation between our states.”
The participants in this Seminar are senior experts from governmental institutions and agencies, relevant international and regional organizations and representatives of the national stock authorities and think tanks dealing with energy-related topics from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo*, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and Turkey.
_______________________________________
*This Designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence. (In accordance with Arrangements regarding regional representation and cooperation.)
