Afghanistan Invited to Accede to the Energy Charter Treaty

7 December 2007: Istanbul

The Energy Charter Conference has invited the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to become a member of the Energy Charter, opening the way for Afghanistan to accede to the 1994 Energy Charter Treaty.
The decision was taken at the 18th Meeting of the Energy Charter Conference, the governing body for the Energy Charter process, which met in Istanbul, Turkey, on 7 December 2007. Following the approval of Afghanistan’s accession, the Minister of Economy of Afghanistan, H.E. Mr Jalil Shams thanked the Conference for its positive response to his country’s request. He said that his country’s membership in the Energy Charter Treaty should be seen in the context of the Afghanistan Government’s absolute determination to reach the ambitious targets of the ‘Afghanistan Compact’ agreed with the international community in February 2006.

The Minister added that his country intends to use membership in the Energy Charter as a way to consolidate Afghanistan’s potential in providing a bridge between the energy producers of Central Asia and Iran and the markets of southern Asia, notably India and Pakistan, and to send a signal to the international community that foreign investment is welcome in Afghanistan’s developing energy sector.

He underlined that Afghanistan is already using the Energy Charter process as a way to promote regional cooperation and to acquire knowledge and assistance in the energy sector, pointing to the work of the Task Force on Regional Electricity Cooperation in Central and South Asia that met under the auspices of the Energy Charter in Kabul in November 2007.

Welcoming the Conference decision, Energy Charter Secretary General André Mernier said that Afghanistan’s request for accession underlined the broad scope of the Energy Charter process: “Countries across Eurasia are facing similar energy security challenges, and I am delighted at the growing interest from non-member countries in the Charter’s legal framework and its role as a policy forum.”

The decision of the Conference was based on three reports, prepared by the Government of Afghanistan and the Energy Charter Secretariat, which analysed the compatibility of Afghanistan’s legal framework with the provisions of the Energy Charter Treaty and reviewed the investment climate and policies relating to energy efficiency. These reports did not identify any measures preventing Afghanistan from applying the Treaty provisions. Afghanistan will legally become a party to the Energy Charter Treaty and rmember of the Energy Charter Conference 90 days after the receipt of notification that it has completed its own procedures for accession and ratification.

Source: Energy Charter