EU4Dialogue: 70 Climate, Energy and Water experts explored opportunities for deeper cross-regional cooperation

June 23, 2023
More than 70 subject matter experts from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Republic of Moldova, and Ukraine joined the Climate, Energy and Water (CEW) Dialogue Platform event that was organised on 19 – 23 June in the Republic of Moldova.

The CEW Dialogue Platform has brought together cross-professional participants from three separate
dialogue processes that have been actively engaged since 2022 via online meetings as well as face-to-face workshops, previously organised in Georgia.

All meetings encourage discussions on cross-cutting topics and explore opportunities for deeper
cooperation across the divides, borders and boundaries, as the climate change mitigation and adaptation
require regional, cross-regional, and global action.

All participants underscored that information exchange and data gathering on a regional level must be
enhanced, as well as the importance to involve experts from Ukraine, which for the first time took part in
the cross-regional dialogue. Amongst the main takeaways were: the necessity to foster academic
cooperation, data exchange, harmonization of standards, and the establishment of thematic task forces. This dialogue is meant to be non-formalised cooperation that facilitates regular bilateral exchange between relevant stakeholders. Thus, the organisers create a neutral setting to explore common challenges, interests, and further cooperation opportunities.

The sectorial dialogue processes will continue over the coming years, while participants also set up task
forces on specific topics to be able to work on concrete ideas, visions for the future, project plans as well as recommendations. As they come up with their own dialogue agendas, the organisers strive to support and foster these plans.

Victor Parlicov, Minister of Energy of the Republic of Moldova, opened the event’s plenary session and
shared how Moldova managed to overcome the 2021-2022 energy crisis and used it as an opportunity for the accelerated reform of the energy sector and the rapid advancement on the path of European
integration, also recognized by the development partners. The minister highlighted that Moldova managed to create natural gas stocks, to purchase gas from European markets, to connect to ENTSO-E, but also to compensate the high energy costs for household and business consumers in the bill.

Tanja Tamminen, Team Leader of the EU4Dialogue (Component 1) said that it was great to witness the
positive approach of the experts from the five counties and how they have found common ground on very complicated questions from day one. The shared understanding on the necessity of regional and cross-regional cooperation to address today’s challenges has created a fertile ground for exploring synergies and planning joint activities.

The CEW Dialogue Platform is organised by the European Union-funded Project, EU4Dialogue (Component 1) „Supporting Understanding Between Conflict Parties” that aims at encouraging dialogue and fostering better understanding across the region through conducting studies; organising events, trainings, and workshops on various levels and in various settings.

Background
The Energy transition dialogue workshop series initiated within the EU-funded Project EU4Dialogue,
Component 1, aims to foster dialogue among energy experts on various topics such as green and
sustainable energy, energy efficiency and transition towards low-carbon and carbon-neutral economy.
The Water dialogue workshop series has been focusing topics such as transboundary water management,
water security as well as water for environment.

The Climate Change group has devoted discussions on the issue of climate change adaptation, including
relevant topics such as communication, awareness raising, and researcher platforms.
Many of the CEW Dialogue Platform topical experts actively participate in the Women’s online Platform for Agenda Setting (also facilitated by EU4Dialogue, Component 1), and thus took part in the respective
Women’s Conference organised in Brussels, Belgium, in March 2023, hence, emphasising the gendered
impacts of the climate crisis, water scarcity/flooding and energy efficiency issues that require gender-
sensitive approaches.

The European Union-funded Project, EU4Dialogue (Component 1) is implemented by Konrad-Adenauer-
Stiftung e.V. in partnership with IDIS Viitorul (Republic of Moldova), IDP Women Association “Consent”
(Georgia), Institute for Mediation, Counselling, Development (Germany) and Cowater International
(Belgium) and continues until July 2025.

Media inquiries
Anna Moghilda, Key Expert 2, Deputy Team Leader, EU4Dialogue Project, Component 1, E-mail:
[email protected] or Mobile: +373 68 982 479.