18 March 2005

AGREED CONCLUSIONS

resulting from the INOGATE Meeting:

“New Projects Proposals for INOGATE Action Programme 2005”

Kiev, INOGATE Technical Secretariat, 10 March 2005

On 10 March 2005, during the INOGATE Meeting entitled “New Projects Proposals for INOGATE Action Programme 2005”, representatives from the Ministry of Energy from the INOGATE Partner Countries (i.e. Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan), and the European Commission clearly expressed their interest to sustain further joint co-operation for the implementation of the new INOGATE Action Programme 2004-2006 and more specifically the Action Programme 2005.

The European Commission presented INOGATE Programme’s new strategic directions consisting of five (5) projects totalling 11 MEUR of technical assistance support elaborated under the Tacis Regional and Central Asia Co-operation Action Programme 2005. These projects developed within the AP 2005 will focus on the following activities:

1. Harmonisation of standards and practices in the gas and oil sectors in the Eastern Europe and Caucasus Regions and in the gas sector in Central Asia – the overall scope of the projects will aim to support countries’ uptake of international standards, rules, and practices for design, construction, manufacturing, testing, certification, accreditation, operation, storage, and maintenance applied to all components of gas and oil production/transmission/storage.
2. Safety and Security of main gas transit infrastructures in Eastern Europe and Caucasus Regions / Technologies and Methodologies for reducing gas losses of the Central Asian gas transit system – the purpose of these projects will aim at enhancing the safety and security of energy supplies through the development of a comprehensive and prioritised programme of actions with view to reduce gas losses of the main gas transit systems.
3. Institutional Development and Marketing Support Services for the Eastern Europe Regional Natural Gas Metrology Centre in Boyarka – assist in developing a self-financing and sustainable “Eastern Europe Regional Centre for Metrology of Natural Gas”, whose main function will be to improve gas measuring techniques applicable in their transit compatible with internationally recognised standards.

This common interest to facilitate the promotion of increased interstate co-operation in the fields of energy, oil and gas networks was marked by the official signing of an “Agreed Conclusions” in which the representatives from the Ministry of Energy of the INOGATE Partner Countries and the European Commission respectively agreed on the need and importance of all five (5) projects presented within the framework of the INOGATE Action Programme 2005.

All interested parties involved have agreed to continue the initiated dialogue at different levels in order to facilitate the realisation of these very important projects and have expressed their desire to continue their co-operation with other countries and organisations in order to stimulate their interest in the extension of this project.
For more information on the INOGATE Programme, please visit the INOGATE web site at www.inogate.org.