By Mehdi Al-Nemer (with photos)
ROME, Nov 12 (KUNA) -- The State of Kuwait is taking part in the 20th World Energy Congress and Exhibition, held here under the theme "The energy future in an interdependent world."
The event kicked off Sunday night and is to last through to November 15 at the new venues of the "Nuova Fiera di Roma."
Head of the Kuwaiti delegation, Assistant Undersecretary for Technical Affairs at the Ministry of Energy, Ali Sabt bin Sabt told KUNA the forum is a key venue Kuwait was keen to attend since joining the Executive Council of the World Energy Council in 2003.
The state set up a national committee on forum affairs which brings together representation from the Ministry of Oil, which heads the committee, and from Kuwait University, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, and Kuwait Petroleum Corporation.
The forum is an important venue for exchange of expertise and deals with all issues and challenges related to the field of energy and development, he said. The official added Kuwait is naturally interested in the venue as it is a key oil producing state and, therefore, highly affected by gas emissions and pollution and imbalances resulting from oil industries.
Kuwait presents proposals and points for discussion through the different technical committees at the forum, he said, and insists matters be dealt with within a framework of constructive international dialogue and cooperation, whatever the issue.
The State of Kuwait is taking part in the exhibition held alongside the forum sessions out of interest in the latest advancements in technology and keenness to cope with and invest the current hikes in oil prices. It is vital the resultant surplus be invested in infrastructure projects of the highest yield possible, the official added.
The Kuwaiti delegation is headed by bin Sabt and includes Oil Undersecretary for Economic Affairs Nawal Abdellatif Al-Fzei', Electricity and Water Ministry Chief Engineer Ahmad Khaled Al-Jassar, and Kuwait Petroleum Corporation Manager of International Relations Atif Al-Jemaili.
The Congress is held every three years and it is considered the most important energy forum. It is promoted by the World Energy Council (WEC), which is the most important international energy organization. It is a UN-accredited, non profit NGO, which aims to foster the economic development and the peaceful and sustainable use of energy supplies.
The last gathering was in Australia in 2004, and this year's venue gathers ministers and officials from 117 countries and representatives of institutions, international organizations, the energy industry, researchers, experts, and all of those who are interested in energy and development issues.
The participants are presenting 144 working papers within 36 sessions and 6 round table discussions. The round table discussions cover the topics "Interdependence: the scale of the challenge", "Who is going to pay the bill? Investments, finance and risk in the energy market", and "The future of transportation."
The last three round tables cover "The Asian giants: leaders, followers, or leap froggers", "Energy for development", and "Climate change: a lower carbon world."
The Ministerial Forum of the congress is headed by the host state's Minister of Economic Development Pier Luigi Bersani as Forum Chairman and among the attendants is Commissioner for Energy of the European Union Andris Piebalgs.
It also gathers Algerian Minister of Energy and Mines Chakib Khelil, Indian Minister of Energy Sushilkuma Shinde, Qatari Minister of Energy and Industry Abdulla bin Hamad Al-Attiyah, Russian Minister of Industry and Energy Viktor Khristenko, and US Secretary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman.
