SCO members agree to increase cooperation on new fuels

ALMATY. March 14 (Interfax) - Energy Ministers from member-countries of the SCO, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, signed a joint statement for the broadening of cooperation, including on technologies, in the area of new fuel types, the Kazakhstan Energy Ministry press service said.

The document, Joint Statement on New Fuels and Modeling in the Energy Sector, was signed Tuesday during the third meeting of SCO energy ministers chaired by India. The parties expect that the document will also contribute to the development of an inclusive energy policy, to unite the efforts of developing countries which both produce and consume fuel.

The meeting, held via videoconference, was attended by Kazakhstan's Energy Minister Bolat Akchulakov.

In his speech, Akchulakov noted that at the initiative of the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Astana is developing the SCO Energy Strategy. The document will include the main priorities of the SCO member states for further cooperation in the energy sector through 2030.

The chairmanship of the SCO bodies in June 2023 passes to Kazakhstan from India. In this regard, Akchulakov invited his colleagues from the relevant ministries of SCO member states to participate in the SCO Energy Forum in October 2023 in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan.

The next regular meeting of SCO energy ministers is scheduled for June 2024.