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This is an archived USAID document retained on this web site as a matter of public record.
USAID and U.S. Energy Association Hold U.S.-Eurasia Energy Partnership Summit in Washington
U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
PRESS RELEASE
WASHINGTON, DC 20523
PRESS OFFICE
http://www.usaid.gov
(202) 712-43202002-102
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 9, 2002Contact: USAID Press Office
WASHINGTON, DC -- The U.S. Agency for International Development and the U.S. Energy Association opened a two-day energy summit today to mark the ten-year anniversary of energy partnerships between the U.S. and the countries of the former Soviet Union. Several high level officials, including USAID Administrator Andrew Natsios and USAID Assistant Administrator for Europe and Eurasia Dr. Kent Hill, spoke to the assembly of over 80 U.S. and Eurasian energy executives and other guests at the conference.
The Energy Industry Partnership Program (EIPP) is widely hailed as an example of how the private sector can contribute to modernization and restructuring of the energy sectors in transition countries. Through this program energy companies, regulatory agencies and non-governmental organizations in the United States and the countries of the former Soviet Union are matched in a management exchange program to enable the Eurasian energy sector make a transition to a market economy in an environmentally responsible manner.
"This summit is very timely given my recent return from the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, where one of the key messages we delivered was the importance of public-private alliances to address critical development challenges," said USAID Administrator Natsios. "This program has managed to leverage $24 million in private sector contributions over the past ten years into concrete and tangible results on the ground."
The success of the partnership program is based on its formula - relatively modest funding from USAID and an impressive amount of volunteerism on the part of U.S. energy executives in terms of time, talent and resources. Over the past ten years this initiative has organized exchanges with Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Armenia, and Georgia as well as several regional programs and have utilized the knowledge and resources of U.S. participants from more than fifteen states. The program has focused on a broad and comprehensive range of issues of specific relevance to the Eurasian region, including regulatory policy, commercialization, customer service, energy efficiency, environmental aspects of oil and gas, and reforms in the electric power and district heating sectors. Conference attendees will participate in panels to discuss these issues to determine areas of success and future challenges.
"This program demonstrates how a successful combination of volunteerism and foreign assistance can reap tangible benefits in the field," said Dr. Hill, who visited program participants while in Ukraine earlier this year. "One need look no further than the number of executives from the region who have been able to apply the knowledge and experience gained through this program to reform the industry and contribute both in the public and private sectors in their respective countries."
Last year 628 officials and executives from the region participated in the program, along with 225 U.S. executives from energy utilities, regulatory commissions, investment banks, law firms, associations, and other groups who volunteered their time to participate in the program by traveling to the region or by hosting exchange visits. Since it began in 1992 the partnership program has facilitated over 10,000 training experiences for participants from the region.
USAID is the government agency providing U.S. economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide for more than 40 years.
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Last Updated on: December 30, 2008 |
