Brussels, Belgium – European Energy Commissioner, Andris Piebalgs met the Russian Minister of Industry and Energy Victor Khristenko in Moscow 2008-05-04 to discuss EU-Russia Energy Cooperation. Ahead of the G8 Energy Ministers Meeting on 8th June in Aomori in Japan and also ahead of the EU-Russia Summit that will take place on 26 June in Khanty Mansiysk in Russia, they assessed the current situation and prospects of cooperation in the field of energy.

"My aim during the meeting with Minister Khristenko is to discuss the future of energy cooperation between Russia and the EU, especially issues addressed in the framework of the EU-Russia Energy Dialogue and its three Joint Thematic Groups. I would like to share with him my assessment of the situation and agree on ways forward" said Commissioner Piebalgs ahead of the meeting.

Commissioner Piebalgs and Minister Khristenko discussed the Russian position on the establishment of an International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Cooperation (IPEEC) on 8 June in Aomori. Besides, they assessed the work carried on by the Joint Thematic Groups of the EU-Russia Energy Dialogue which have met and discussed extensively since Commissioner Piebalgs and Minister Khristenko last met in October 2007. Their meeting was also an opportunity to discuss the preliminary results of the recently achieved EU-Russia electricity interconnection feasibility study by the Unified Power System / Interconnected Power Systems (UPS/IPS) on the Russian side and the Union for the Coordination of Transmission of Electricity (UCTE) on the European side.

The EU-Russia Energy Dialogue was launched at the EU-Russia Summit in 2000 to provide an opportunity to raise all the questions of common interest relating to the sector, including cooperation on energy efficiency, rationalisation of production and transport infrastructures, and reciprocal investment possibilities. The structure of the Energy Dialogue ensures the close involvement of EU Member States, the European energy industry and international financial institutions. The three Thematic Groups bring together over 100 European and Russian experts from the private and public sector and contribute every year to the EU-Russia Progress Report.