African Union Holds High Level Meeting with European Union Commissioners on Energy Partnership

 

 

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, September 5, 2008/African Press Organization (APO)/ -6 A high level discussion between the African Union and the European Commission on the implementation of the Africa – EU Energy Partnership, opens on Monday, 8 September 2008, at 10 a.m., at the headquarters of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The European delegation at the high level meeting will be led by Mr. Louis Michel, European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid and Mr. Andris Piebalgs, European Commissioner for Energy.

 

The meeting comes as a follow-up of the Africa-EU Partnership on Energy agreed at the Lisbon Summit held in December 2007. According to the organizers, the current context of increasing global energy demand and rising energy prices provides an additional stimulus for fast progress in the implementation of the Energy Partnership.

 

To that effect, the two parties are going to define concrete activities that need to be undertaken jointly as well as discuss a draft road map for their implementation. This includes: to promote regional integration of electricity markets in Africa; enable a favourable environment to enhance private investment; develop energy interconnection between Africa and Europe; launch a renewable Energy Cooperation programme; and support the reduction of gas flaring and venting amongst other.

 

The High Level discussion, will take place in the presence of the Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mr. Erastus Mwencha, and the Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, Dr. Elham Mahmoud Ahmed Ibrahim.

 

The signing of a joint Declaration on Energy Partnership will crown the occasion, followed by a Press Conference to take place at 12h00, in the Media Centre of the African Union Commission.

 

Journalists are invited to cover the event and to take part in the Press Conference.

 

 

SOURCE : African Union Commission (AUC)