On April 17, 2012 the Russian International Affairs Council held a workshop on the issue of “The situation in Central Asia and prospects of electric power grids integration in the region” .
The idea behind the workshop was to survey political and economic situation in the region in terms of its impact on the prospects of the Central Asian states’ electric power grids regional integration and their unification with Russian grids. Particular attention was given to the development of electric power export routes. The event was held within the framework of the project “The situation in Central Asia after the possible withdrawal of coalition forces from Afghanistan”.
On April 17, 2012 the Russian International Affairs Council held a workshop on the issue of “The situation in Central Asia and prospects of electric power grids integration in the region”.
The idea behind the workshop was to survey political and economic situation in the region in terms of its impact on the prospects of the Central Asian states’ electric power grids regional integration and their unification with Russian grids. Particular attention was given to the development of electric power export routes. The event was held within the framework of the project “The situation in Central Asia after the possible withdrawal of coalition forces from Afghanistan”.
Among the participants of the workshop were Russian experts on Central Asia and energy issues. V. Likhachev, Deputy R&D Director of EPIRAS, A. Kazantsev, Director of RFA MGIMO University Analytical Center, A. Makhin, Chief Expert of the Department for the CIS countries’ market development of the Executive Committee of the CIS Electric Power System, A. Kurtov, Editor-in-chief of the RISS’s (Russian Institute of Strategic Studies) “Problems of National Strategy” journal, A. Zulkharneev, Director of the training program, Coordinator of the PIR-Center’s project “Security in Central Asia and Russia”, V. Korgun, Head of the Afghanistan department at the RAS Institute of Oriental Studies, E. Kuzmina, Head of the Post-Soviet Countries Economic Development department at the RAS Institute of Economics’ Center for the Post-Soviet Studies and M. Starchak, expert for Eurasia Heritage Foundation presented their vision of the problem.
I. Timofeev, RIAC’s Program Director addressed the meeting with a welcoming speech in which he emphasized the importance of the issues put on the agenda of the workshop. Among them are the state, the capacity and the reliability of the electric power grids operating in Central Asian countries, political risks in the region and the possibility of their affecting the development of the electric power industry in the region, the degree of economic feasibility and risks of the region’s electric power grids unification, political dialogue and the problem of trust in the process of political and legal negotiations on the terms and conditions of the integrated electric power grid creation.
Workshop on Electric Power Industry in Central Asia, April 17, 2012
