The joint declaration was signed by Ukraine’s Energy Minister German Galushchenko and IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol, in the presence of Poland’s Climate and Environment Minister Anna Moskwa, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
The IEA later said in a statement that Ukraine’s entry “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.”
‘Strong message of solidarity and support’
Meanwhile, Poland’s Moskwa said that “welcoming Ukraine to the IEA family as an association country sends a strong message of solidarity and support.”
She added: “It will boost energy security in our region. Hopefully it will also form the basis for creating a framework that will help Ukraine on its path to reconstruction.”
‘Ukraine deserves every form of help’
Moskwa told reporters that “Ukraine deserves every form of help for its heroic struggle in defence of its territorial integrity and independence.”
She added that through this struggle, “Ukraine is standing up for European values, such as freedom and democracy.”
‘We have to do everything we can to support Ukraine’
Moskwa also stated that “Ukraine needs a profound reorganisation of energy supplies and support with reforming its energy infrastructure, so that it can meet the energy needs of its society and economy.”
She added: “In this respect, we, the member countries of the IEA, the biggest international energy organisation, have an incredibly important role to play. We have to do everything we can to support Ukraine in these changes and in maintaining energy security."
Later in the day, Moskwa, Galushchenko, Birol and US Deputy Secretary of Energy David Turk took part in a livestreamed panel discussion entitled “The Impact of the War in Ukraine on the Energy Sector.”
During the debate, Moskwa called on the EU “to adopt a clear plan to renounce Russian gas.”
“At the moment, [Russian President Vladimir] Putin is doing more than Europe itself to rid Europe of Russian gas,” she said.
Tuesday was day 146 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
(pm/gs)
Source: PAP, iea.org
Click on the audio player above for a report by Radio Poland's Michał Owczarek.