Energy security: Yermak meets with representatives of 58 countries to discuss Peace Formula implementation
Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak held the fifth meeting with representatives of foreign diplomatic missions accredited in Ukraine within the framework of implementing the Peace Formula.
The meeting participants discussed the energy security point of the Formula, the President’s Office informs.
Ambassadors and representatives of the diplomatic missions of Japan, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Croatia, the Republic of South Africa, the United Kingdom, Estonia, Ethiopia, Jordan, the Netherlands, Portugal, Lithuania, Egypt, Brazil, Canada, the Republic of Korea, India, Belgium, Spain, Austria, Finland, Azerbaijan, Norway, Switzerland, Germany, Bulgaria, Denmark, Greece, the EU, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, North Macedonia, Romania, the United States, Türkiye, Hungary, France, Montenegro, Sweden, and United Nations Resident Coordinator for Ukraine Denise Brown, special representative of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iceland Þórlindur Kjartansson, the Exarch of the Ecumenical Patriarch in Ukraine, Bishop Mykhailo Komansky (Anishchenko) and chargé d'affaires of the Apostolic Nuncio in Ukraine Joseph Maramreddy attended the event in person or via video links.
Greeting the meeting participants, Yermak separately thanked those who joined this format of communication for the first time, namely the representatives of 16 countries: Austria, Belgium, Algeria, Portugal, Ecuador, Croatia, Switzerland, Guatemala, Greece, Ireland, Iceland, Hungary, Azerbaijan, Montenegro, New Zealand and Ethiopia.
In general, according to the Head of the President’s Office, representatives of 58 countries took part in the meeting, while 43 countries were represented at the previous event in the Verkhovna Rada.
"This shows we are actively moving towards an appropriate solution to ensure peace in the world," Yermak said.
He briefed foreign diplomats on the results of the second meeting at the level of national security advisors and political directors of foreign policy departments of countries and international organizations, which took place on August 5 in the city of Jeddah (Saudi Arabia).
The Head of the President's Office said that the participants in the meeting in Jeddah affirmed their commitment to the principles of the UN Charter, international law and respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states. He said the Peace Formula of President Volodymyr Zelensky was built on such principles.
"We are working on a joint plan. Each country can take the lead in implementing either some separate or all ten points of the Formula. As far as I know, most of your countries have already determined their priorities and their role in implementing these points," Yermak said.
He also presented the authorized responsible representatives of Ukraine for each of the points of the Peace Formula who would provide the utmost support for the process of their implementation.
"Today, we touched on an extremely important point of the Formula – energy security. Russia systematically uses energy as a weapon. The Kremlin began to put pressure on Europe by increasing energy prices six times since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, but Ukraine did everything to break its dependence on Russian energy, broke Russia's plans. However, the Russian Federation continues its attacks on the Ukrainian energy structure. The aggressor plans to create a humanitarian catastrophe, depriving millions of Ukrainians of access to basic resources during the winter," Yermak stressed.
He said that Russia, receiving imported components bypassing sanctions, was increasing the production of long-range weapons to continue destroying Ukrainian infrastructure. In particular, he recalled the recent attack by an aggressor on an oil depot in Rivne region. In this context, the Head of the President's Office noted the importance of preparing the Ukrainian energy industry for the winter period and protecting it from heavy Russian attacks.
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal told foreign diplomats in detail about the measures Ukraine is taking to prepare for the winter period. According to him, to ensure energy security, it is planned to create a multi-level protection of energy facilities by reinforcing them and decentralizing the energy system. European and global companies can take advantage of reliable Ukrainian underground gas storage facilities, capable of storing over 30 billion cubic meters of gas, which will make it possible to calmly pass the winter period and ensure Europe's energy security in the long term. Also, constant international monitoring of the safety of energy infrastructure facilities and the creation of an international coalition for protecting energy facilities with the help of strengthening air defense should be important factors of energy security in winter. In addition, the participation of partners in the energy restoration of Ukraine is foreseen.
"We are implementing projects that no one in the world has done before, because no energy system in the world has experienced such large-scale attacks. In the future, Ukraine will be ready to share this experience so that, if necessary, other countries understand how to act in such scenarios. By the way, it is what we consider to be a very crucial element of the Peace Formula for Ukraine – a unique exchange of experience that will protect each of us and every country," Shmyhal said.
Minister of Energy of Ukraine German Galushchenko, Board Chairman of NPC Ukrenergo Volodymyr Kudrytsky, CEO of JSC Naftogaz of Ukraine Oleksiy Chernyshov informed those present about the current situation in the energy system of our country.
The Head of the President's Office also told the audience in detail about implementing another important point of the Peace Formula, concerning security guarantees. He said that 13 states had already joined the Joint Declaration of Support for Ukraine agreed by the G7 countries at the NATO Summit in Vilnius.
Photo credit: President's Office