Ukraine officially joined the International Energy Agency as an Association country on 19 July, with the signing of a joint declaration by Ukraine’s minister of Energy German Galushchenko and IEA executive director Fatih Birol.
The signing of the Joint Association Declaration is said to “open a new chapter in the long-standing partnership between the IEA and Ukraine to deepen and expand their work on the country’s energy security, clean energy transition and reconstruction efforts”.
The IEA governing Board agreed on 16 June to welcome Ukraine as the IEA’s 11th Association country, reflecting the Agency’s full support for Ukraine in the face of Russia’s aggression. Its decision highlighted Ukraine’s important energy security role, and IEA support for its reconstruction efforts.
“The IEA has been working with Ukraine for almost two decades, and in these particularly challenging times following Russia’s unprovoked invasion, we are further strengthening the relationship to support Ukraine’s significant reconstruction needs and help it build a new energy future,” said Dr Birol.
"Solidarity is becoming even more important in these times of crisis. Only by being united, are we all able to implement the International Energy Agency’s mission to shape a secure and sustainable energy future,” said minister Galushchenko. “As a part of Europe and as a candidate for EU membership, Ukraine is ready to take an active role in strengthening energy security in the region.”
The Joint Declaration states that Ukraine and the IEA intend to work together to develop policy and build capacity in a wide range of energy related fields, including market analysis, energy system reconstruction, energy security, efficiency, accelerated energy transitions, hydrogen and biomethane, and energy data and statistics. The specific initiatives are to be agreed upon in two-year joint work programmes.
The IEA has a long history of cooperation with Ukraine. Since 2007, the Agency has conducted four in-depth policy reviews and organised policy events and energy data capacity building in Kyiv and Odesa. The Agency has worked closely with Ukraine through the European Commission’s EU4Energy programme. The IEA also recently completed a roadmap looking at how Ukraine can harness energy demand restraint, a topic that had been a priority for the government.
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