On November 9, the representatives of “Regulatory Framework to Promote Energy Efficiency in the Countries of Eurasian Economic Union” (financed by UNDP-Russian Trust Fund for Development and implemented by UNDP Armenia) regional project as well as the national stakeholders from Armenia and Kyrgyzstan, with support of the project, took part in the “First International Energy Saving Forum” in Astana, Kazakhstan. The forum was organized by the Ministry for Investments and Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan jointly with the UNDP Kazakhstan.

Welcoming speech was held by Roman Sklyar, Vice-minister for Investment and Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan, who highlighted the importance of partnership in the fields of energy efficiency and energy saving with UN, UNIDO, World Bank, and donor and financing institutions.  Norimasa Shimomura, UN Resident Coordinator, Tigran Arzumanyan, Deputy Minister of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources of the Republic of Armenia, and Ato Brown, Permanent Representative of the World Bank in Kazakhstan, also held welcoming speeches.

The topics of energy conservation and energy efficiency policies, digitalization and innovative technologies, energy efficiency for building low-carbon cities as well as the issues of standards, certification and labeling of energy efficiency and promotion of ecological and energy-efficient culture in the society were discussed during the panel sessions of the Forum. Representatives from state authorities, international organizations, the business sector, public organizations, and international experts take part in the discussions.

During the Forum, the ceremony of passing of the baton of the energy efficiency youth festival “Vmeste Jarche” from Kazakhstan to Armenia and Kyrgyzstan took place. The youth festival “Vmeste Jarche” was initiated by the Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation in 2016. Kazakhtsan joined this initiative in 2017, while Armenia and Kyrgyzstan will hold the festival in 2019.

One day earlier the delegations from Armenia and Kyrgyzstan were hosted by UNDP Kazakhstan where the team of the Foundation for Public Initiatives Development, headed by Tatiana Nemtsan, Deputy Chairman of the Foundation, together with UNDP Kazakhstan project team, presented the implementation of “Kazakhstan! Vmeste Jarche!”. On the same day, the delegations visited the Center of Green Technologies in Arnasay village where underground photodiode, greenhouses as well as other green technologies were presented.