Azernews.Az

A joint action plan between Kazakhstan and the U.S. to implement an energy partnership for 2012-2013 was signed following talks in Washington, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.

"The ninth session of the joint Kazakh-American Commission on Energy Partnership co-chaired by Kazakh Oil and Gas Minister Sauat Mynbaev and U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel Poneman was held in Washington," the ministry said.

According to the press release, the delegations of the two countries consisting of representatives of various ministries and departments, considered the implementation of joint projects in energy and determined the ways to achieve concrete results in the coming year.

The sides discussed the issues of establishing a training centre in the area of nuclear safety, introducing transport technologies on compressed natural gas in Kazakhstan, the methods of cleaner coal burning and examining the opportunities for the development of shale gas and coal methane in the country, as well as increasing energy efficiency in the industrial sector and developing a map of Kazakh geothermal energy sources, the report says.

Moreover, the issues of improving the mechanism of regional power trade, developing competition and strengthening the reliability of electric power transmission systems were considered.

Mynbayev held the consultations with U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu and Deputy Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment Robert Hormats on a wide range of issues on the international agenda in the field of energy.

A constructive dialogue on the main areas of the Kazakhstan's energy policy and priorities of energy development was held with the international oil and gas companies within a round table discussion organised by the US-Kazakh Business Association.