Global cooperation, environmental safeguards key to a secure future

Achieving a secure and sustainable energy future demands unprecedented international collaboration and a focus on environmental preservation, according to top energy officials from the Middle East, Africa, and the United States. 

Speaking Tuesday at a ministerial panel titled ‘Fostering enhanced cross-border trade and cooperation to deliver a secure energy future’ at Gastech 2025, the leaders focused on balancing energy security with climate objectives through robust cross-border partnerships. 

“Providing interconnectivity in terms of how we can really unlock the potential, whether of gas or renewables not only for the benefit of Egypt, but for the benefit of Egypt’s partnerships is something very important,” said H.E. Eng. Karim Badawi, Egypt’s Minister for Petroleum & Mineral Resources. He mentioned a potential transportation corridor linking Egypt with Greece and Europe and other projects involving a developer from Norway. 

Five pillars 

Minister Badawi outlined a strategy based on five pillars: providing low-cost petroleum with low carbon intensity; leveraging Egypt's petrochemical infrastructure; unlocking the full potential of the mining sector; and achieving a 42% renewable energy mix by 2030. 

“The fifth pillar, which is very important for us is really on the people front, the health and the safety rights of people in the operations,” said Minister Badawi. “And at the same time that we do that, we are looking at the climate and leaving, you know, the right environment for future generations.” 

Bringing a key Western perspective, Joshua Volz, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Europe, Eurasia, Africa & the Middle East at the United States Department of Energy, highlighted the role of international policy and technology partnerships in creating resilient supply chains. 

Growing economies 

“If we want to grow economies, we want to have better rates of return, we have to have stable and secure supplies of energy,” stated Volz. “And if we don't have that, then that will be priced into lending rates, it will be priced into project cost." 

“As you've noted from the US presence here in Milan, the outward, forward facing element of the President's agenda for energy in the United States is first and foremost that we're back,” he added. “We're back to play a leadership role for a stable supply and to be a long term partner for providing energy throughout the world.” 

Representing the viewpoint of an emerging energy player, the Hon. Mohamed Ould Khaled, Mauritania’s Minister of Energy & Petroleum, discussed the opportunities for developing nations to contribute to the global energy supply while advancing their own economic and climate goals. 

“Cross border cooperation is Mauritania is our DNA,” said the Minister, citing his country's relations with Senegal, Guinea, and Mali to use energy sources located across their respective borders. 

“If you try to find solutions for problems together with the operators, you can advance such complex projects. I think that's about having a commonality of purpose,” Hon. Khaled said. 

Working together 

Providing a concluding overview, H.E. Jassim AlShiwari, Secretary General of the International Energy Forum (IEF), stressed that multilateral dialogue is the only way to effectively navigate the energy transition. 

“We have to work together. We have to collaborate. We have to be flexible,” said H.E. AlShiwari. “We have to look and listen to market signals and ensure that we recalibrate whenever it's necessary to do so in order to change our strategies to fit the market, and we have to also listen and to the developing countries and their needs and their requirements.”