The minister of energy, mining and mineral resources, Sanja Bozhinovska held a bilateral meeting with Mr. Riad Meddeb, director of the Sustainable Energy Hub within the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) at the margins of the IFESD-14 forum in Skopje. The Resident Representative of UNDP in Macedonia, Armen Grigoryan was also present at the meeting.
The focus of the meeting was at deepening cooperation between the Ministry and UNDP in several priority areas - energy efficiency, digitalization, cybersecurity and human capital development.
Mr. Meddeb praised Macedonia for its proactive approach in the development of local energy communities and stressed that the new Energy Law is advanced and creates a solid foundation for further development of the energy sector.
He emphasized that UNDP will continue to be the country's strategic partner in the transition to a green economy, with support for the implementation and harmonization of regulations with European standards.
Minister Bozhinovska emphasized the importance of digitalization and cybersecurity in energy companies and institutions, emphasizing that this is a precondition for financially sustainable and transparent projects.
The focus of the conversation was also on new technologies and the possibilities for applying artificial intelligence (AI) to improve energy efficiency - through forecasting consumption, resource optimization and automation of energy management systems. Special emphasis was placed on strengthening capacities and the inclusion of women in the just energy transition, as well as on developing training and education programs in the field of sustainable energy.
In order to encourage innovation, the establishment of an "Energy Innovation Laboratory" was proposed, which would serve as a space for testing new technologies, supporting startups and promotion of sustainable solutions.
Minister Bozhinovska emphasized that Macedonia is ready to be a partner of UNDP in developing such models, which will accelerate the energy transition process and strengthen the human and technological potential of the country.
With regards,
Ministry of Energy, Mining and Mineral Resources
