BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 31. Romania became the energy capital of Central and Southeastern Europe by hosting the 10th Ministerial Meeting of the High-Level Group for Energy Connectivity in Central and Southeastern Europe (CESEC) in Bucharest, Trend reports.
The European Commission, together with the Ministry of Energy, organized the 10th ministerial meeting at the Palace of the Parliament in Bucharest.
The event brought together representatives from 17 countries, members of the European Union and the Energy Community, and was coordinated by European Commissioner for Energy Dan Jørgensen and Romanian Minister of Energy Bogdan Ivan.
The discussions focused on achieving REPowerEU objectives, in the context of advancing EU-level negotiations on the gradual phase-out of fossil fuel imports from Russia. Other topics included strengthening energy interconnections, developing electricity and natural gas markets, and supporting the regional green transition.
Minister Bogdan Ivan stated that Romania continues to have one of the highest energy prices in Europe, and this issue was raised to find concrete solutions regarding investments in generation capacity—hydropower, natural gas, and nuclear energy, modernization of transmission and distribution networks, smart storage to balance consumption, and regional partnerships supported by European funding.
During the CESEC meeting, participating member states agreed to strengthen financial tools and cooperation mechanisms to achieve these objectives over the next two years. It was also agreed to increase European funds for energy interconnectivity in Europe fivefold, from €6 billion to 30 billion euros.
At the end of the ministerial meeting, Minister Bogdan Ivan declared: “My goal is clear: for Romania to be a key energy player in the region, in cooperation with the European Union and the United States of America.”