On June 2, 2020, a meeting on the modernization of the Energy Charter Treaty was held in a video conference format. The multilateral negotiations were attended by delegations of the Energy Charter Secretariat, the European Union, Austria, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Belgium, Great Britain, Hungary, Germany, Georgia, Spain, Kazakhstan, Cyprus, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Turkey, Finland, France, Croatia, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Sweden, Estonia, and Japan. A representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan and the Turkmengaz State Concern took part in a video conference from Turkmenistan.
The meeting participants considered issues in the field of modernization of the Energy Charter Treaty, the impact of the global agenda on world energy markets. The practical, regulatory and legal aspects of energy transit were discussed. A summary of the meeting held in December 2019 was approved.
An exchange of views on topical issues of energy security also took place. Participants reaffirmed their commitment to help strengthen the reliability and stability of energy transit. In this context, the need to coordinate efforts in these areas was emphasized.
It is important to recall that in November 2017, the 28th Session of the Energy Charter Conference was held in Ashgabat, during which the Ashgabat Energy Charter Declaration was adopted under the leadership of Turkmenistan. This document recognized the importance of modernizing the Energy Charter Process in order to strengthen long-term energy cooperation and contribute to energy security.
At the end of the meeting, the parties agreed to use a video conference format for further rounds of negotiations.