Ukraine joins International Energy Agency as an Association country

Ukraine has officially joined the International Energy Agency as an Association country, 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 at a ceremony in Warsaw, Poland, opens 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 said in a statement.

The signing took place in the presence of Polish Climate and Environment Minister Anna Moskwa.

“The IEA has been working with Ukraine for almost two decades, and in these particularly challenging times … we are further strengthening the relationship to support Ukraine’s significant reconstruction needs and help it build a new energy future,” Dr Birol said in a statement.

“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. I’m delighted to be signing the Joint Declaration with Minister Galushchenko to expand our cooperation for achieving these goals,” he added.

The IEA Governing Board agreed on June 16 to welcome Ukraine as the IEA’s 11th Association country. The Governing Board’s decision highlighted Ukraine’s important role in providing energy security and the IEA’s support for its reconstruction efforts, the IEA said.

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.

“Only by being united, are we all able to implement the International Energy Agency’s mission to shape a secure and sustainable energy future,” Galushchenko said. “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,” he added in a statement.

The IEA’s Association framework allows the IEA to work closely and deepen cooperation with its partner countries, sharing analysis, data and best practices.