Ukraine signs up as IEA association member
Ukraine on July 19 officially became an International Energy Agency (IEA) association country, reflecting the IEA's "full support" for Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression.
Ukraine was formally accepted as the 11th IEA associate by the agency's governing board on June 16. The move reflects Ukraine's vital energy security position and its transit network's role in delivering a large chunk of Russian gas into Europe, but also the IEA's committed support for Kyiv's post-invasion reconstruction efforts.
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The formal association agreement has now been signed by Ukraine's energy minister German Galuschenko and IEA's executive director Fatih Birol, in a ceremony presided over by Polish climate and environment minister Anna Moskwa.
It comes mere weeks after the European Network of TSOs announced the launch of electricity trade between Ukraine and the EU on June 30.
Solidarity and unity were two of the big themes of the IEA joint declaration, under which Ukraine will receive agency support in developing policy and strengthening capacity in a number of energy-related fields. The specific IEA initiatives that will benefit Ukraine are to be agreed in joint work programmes, each lasting two years.
The IEA has a long history of supporting Ukraine. In 2007, it began conducting four in-depth reviews of Kyiv's energy policy. Ukraine also hosted various IEA-sponsored policy events, and began implementing IEA-endorsed data gathering tools, in the capital Kyiv and the city of Odesa.
The European Commission's EU4Energy Programme spurred further ties between the agency and Ukraine. EU4Energy was established to encourage co-operation with the EU's Eastern Partnership, a six-country group that includes Ukraine along the EU's eastern perimeter. The IEA also recently launched a roadmap exploring ways for Kyiv to harness demand-side energy restraint.
The joint declaration provides for IEA collaboration in energy market analysis, energy system reconstruction, energy security, efficiency, accelerating energy transitions, hydrogen and biomethane fuels, and energy data and statistics.
Ukraine's German Galuschenko said: "Solidarity is becoming even more important in these times of crisis. Only by being united, are we all able to implement the IEA's mission to shape a secure and sustainable energy future.
"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."
IEA's Birol added: "The IEA has been working with Ukraine for almost two decades, and in these particularly challenging times following Russia's unprovoked invasion, we are strengthening the relationship to support Ukraine's significant reconstruction needs and help it build a new energy future.
"Ukraine has an important energy security role in Europe and beyond - and it has set ambitious goals to increase energy trade with Europe and transition to cleaner energy."
Since 2015, the IEA has operated an association framework to help deepen cooperation with non-member partners. Ukraine joins Argentina, Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Morocco, Singapore, South Africa and Thailand as the 11th associate member. The IEA says its network now represents around 75% of global energy demand.