Copenhagen Energy Security Dialogues
On November 2, 2014, the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark launched the Copenhagen Energy Security Dialogues, a high-level forum that brought together transatlantic and emerging economy leaders to address global energy security challenges. Ban Ki-moon, secretary general of the United Nations, gave the keynote address. Martin Lidegaard, minister of foreign affairs of Denmark, and Karen Donfried, president of GMF, opened the event.
Cooperation across the Atlantic and with emerging economies will be essential for delivering reliable and affordable energy to households and industry around the world. The Dialogues brought together foreign policy and energy leaders from United States, the European Union, Indonesia and South Africa to identify common goals across existing energy security, development and sustainability efforts. Participants discussed the role of energy efficiency and digital payment solutions, new oil and gas resources and trade agreements such as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) in securing access to affordable energy.
In the closing of the event, Edgars Rinkēvičs, the minister of foreign affairs of Latvia, discussed the importance of energy security for the European Union and highlighted the benefits of an EU Energy Union and of including energy in TTIP. The conference included discussions on energy challenges and solutions in Ukraine and debates about balancing energy security and climate change priorities.
Read the secretary general's remarks at Copenhagen Energy Security Dialogues.