MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The second annual Russian Energy Week (REW) will open in Moscow on Wednesday to promote the Russian energy industry and improve international cooperation in energy during four-day discussions set to be attended by over 20 ministers and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
More than 6,000 guests from over 70 countries are expected to attend the forum, with energy industry leaders coming from Austria, the United Kingdom, Germany, China, Libya, Saudi Arabia, the United States, and France, among others.
The Russian president will attend the forum on the first day and deliver a welcoming address during the plenary session called Sustainable Energy for a Changing World, which will also be attended by Saudi Energy Minister Khalid Falih, Royal Dutch Shell CEO Ben van Beurden, Total CEO Patrick Pouyanne, and Enel CEO Francesco Starace. On the sidelines of the event, Putin will also hold talks with OPEC Secretary General Mohammad Barkindo and may briefly talk with Falih, according to the Kremlin.
The main challenges faced by the energy sector will be discussed by such high-profile speakers as Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak, Qatar Energy Minister Mohammed Sada, Bahraini Oil Minister Mohamed Khalifa, and Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto over the course of four days. Szijjarto plans to hold a bilateral meeting with Novak to come to an agreement on the purchase volume of the Russian gas in 2020 under the long-term contract.
In the framework of the REW, the OPEC chief will present the latest OPEC report – the World Oil Outlook (WOO) 2018 – which provides a detailed analysis of various factors affecting the global oil market with a medium- and long-term outlook until 2040.
Another interesting session called “Russia–Africa Energy Roundtable” will be devoted to the development of Africa and its energy cooperation with Russia, as Russian companies are able to offer vast experience in developing, constructing, and commissioning energy facilities. The African continent will be represented by Equatorial Guinea Minister of Mines and Hydrocarbons Gabriel Obiang Lima, Libyan National Oil Corporation (NOC) Chairman Mustafa Sanalla, South Sudan Petroleum Minister Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth and Sierra Leone’s Energy Minister Alhaji Kanja Ibrahim Sesay, as well as others.
The Russian Energy Week was first held in 2017 and serves as a platform for demonstrating the prospects of Russia’s fuel and energy industry and exploring the potential of international cooperation in the field.
Sourse: sputniknews.com
