“Belt and Road” Energy Partnership Member States Expanded to 34

The third “Belt and Road” Energy Ministers’ Meeting took place on October 23 in Qingdao, China. During the meeting, a ceremony was held to expand the “Belt and Road” Energy Cooperation Partnership, bringing its total membership to 34 countries across Asia, Africa, Europe, South America, North America, and Oceania.

Ali Abadi, Iran’s Minister of Energy, spoke on behalf of the newly joined member states, expressing his honor at becoming part of the “Belt and Road” Energy Cooperation Partnership. He emphasized the importance of this platform in fostering positive impacts and strengthening global energy collaboration. Abadi highlighted Iran’s willingness to enhance bilateral and multilateral relationships in the area of energy transition, leveraging existing capabilities for mutual benefit.

Thailand, another recent addition to the “Belt and Road” Energy Cooperation Partnership, was represented by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy, Supattanapong Punmeechaow. He acknowledged the critical role the partnership plays in international energy cooperation and its potential to accelerate global energy transition trends. Punmeechaow stressed that the direction of global energy transition is clear, and Thailand is committed to robustly implementing policies to achieve its carbon neutrality goal by 2050 and net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2065.

Zhang Jianhua, the head of China’s National Energy Administration, noted in his address that the “Belt and Road” Energy Cooperation Partnership offers a diverse, open, and mutually beneficial platform for cooperation. He called for collective efforts to construct this platform while encouraging countries to collaborate in broadening and deepening the partnership. Zhang emphasized the importance of assisting developing nations in addressing challenges related to energy supply security and transitioning to a green, low-carbon future, seeking reliable solutions to energy issues.