A Kazakh delegation took part in the sixth Assembly of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the ninth World Future Energy Summit, which ended on January 21. The main topics of discussion were global international transformation and joint solutions for generating future energy.
The sixth session of the assembly of IRENA was a large-scale event attended by government delegates from more than 150 countries as well as 140 representatives of international organisations and businesses.
This broad international participation is determined by the increasing importance and necessity of a broad use of all forms of renewable energy, including biomass and hydropower, ocean energy, geothermal, solar and wind energy for sustainable development of all countries. It is engaged in IRENA, supplementing the perspective of systemic work to create political conditions for such development with access to energy and the improvement of energy security of countries and regions.
Deputy Director of EXPO2017 Commissioner Secretariat Azamat Abdraimov noted the main goals of Kazakhstan’s participation in these forums were the demonstration of the transition of the country to a green economy and sharing the “Future Energy” theme that interrelates with the theme of the Abu-Dhabi summit. Abdraimov highlighted that the summit is a good platform for attracting international participants and potential partners in the field of renewable energy sources to EXPO 2017.
Increased capacity and increased use of renewable energy play an important role in the Kazakhstan 2050 Strategy and the State Programme of Accelerated Industrial and Innovative Development of Kazakhstan for 2014-2019. It shows that despite the current situation in the world economy, the country’s course of a gradual transition to green energy remains unchanged.
During the visit, the delegation held talks with the Chief Executive Officer of the International Renewable Energy Agency Mohamed El-Farnawany, Vice-President of Dubai EXPO 2020 Committee Omar Shehadeh, Deputy General Director of the United Arab Emirates National Media Council Salem Al Ameri and ministers of energy of a number of states.
With El-Famawany, the Kazakh side discussed the current state of cooperation and participation terms of IRENA in EXPO 2017. The second participation meeting, a major gathering of dozens of delegations, will take place Feb. 24-25 in Astana. El-Farnawany informed that his candidature had been approved as IRENA Commissioner for EXPO 2017 and noted the relevance of the theme “Future Energy” following the Paris Climate Change Conference in 2015.
At the meeting with Omar Shehadeh, the sides discussed the possibility of signing a memorandum of cooperation between the Astana EXPO 2017 National Company and the Dubai EXPO 2020 Higher Committee to ensure regular exchange of information and to synchronise preparations for the exhibitions.
With the Commissioner of the UAE National Section Salem Al Ameri, the Kazakh guests considered technical issues of the UAE pavilion location, its design and participation of UAE companies. Al Ameri confirmed his participation at the EXPO 2017 Second Participants Meeting in Astana.
In order to attract international participants to EXPO 2017, bilateral meetings with the heads of energy ministries of Belgium, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Spain, India, Costa Rica, Mexico and Uruguay were held on the margins of the IRENA assembly.
