On 31 October 2014 ICPE Acting Director General Janez Podobnik visited Vienna. During his visit he met with Mr. Rachid Bencherif, Head, Grants Unit, Office of the Director-General, OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID), Dr. Pradeep Monga, Director, Energy and Climate Change of UNIDO and H.E. Mr. Aliyar Lebbe Abdul Azeez, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Slovenia. Mr. Nenad Stankovic, ICPE Representative in Vienna was also present at the meetings.
During the meeting at OFID that was also attended Ms. Souhad Khriesat, Technical Assistance Officers, Grants Unit, OFID, J. Podobnik presented the new ICPE programs as well as the results of the International Training Program on Wastewater Management and Solar Energy held in Ljubljana in February 2014, training which was held with the financial support of OFID. J. Podobnik emphasized that ICPE received very positive feedback from the training participants who appreciated the quality of the program, lecturers, company visits together with ICPE’s warm hospitality. Based on the training results ICPE has prepared a follow-up training entitled “International Training Program on Wastewater Management: New Technologies and Technological Solutions for Effective Wastewater Treatment”, which is planned to be organized in spring 2015. For the forthcoming training ICPE also applied for OFID grants.
After a very successful discussion Mr. Bencherif appreciated meeting and re-confirmed OFID’s interest to continue its cooperation with ICPE. He expressed the readiness to support ICPE in performing its planned activities, especially in assisting LDCs and developing countries in the process of human capacity building. He stressed that OFID funds have been allocated to ICPE four times in the past and each time ICPE justified the expectations with high quality performed activities. In this respect, Mr. Bencherif invited ICPE to prepare a presentation for the OFID management and staff during which ICPE’s experience in cooperation with ICPE Member States as well as other partners in finding appropriate solutions for specific countries’ needs and for developing challenges marked by UN Millennium Goals will be presented. Mr. Podobnik accepted this offer and assessed it as a great opportunity for the closer cooperation between two organizations as well as for ICPE to be recognized as a reputable and reliable OFID partner. It was agreed that the particular subjects of the presentation will be defined in the following period.
(From left) Dr. Pradeep Monga, Director, Energy and Climate Change of UNIDO and Mr. Janez Podobnik, Acting Director General of ICPE
(From left) Mr. Rachid Bencherif, Head, Grants Unit, Office of the Director-General, OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) and Mr. Janez Podobnik, Acting Director General of ICPE
During the meeting with Dr. Monga the cooperation between UNIDO and ICPE with a special focus on the forthcoming training on “Sustainable Energy Solutions – Technologies, Trends and Policy options” was discussed. The training will be held in Ljubljana between 18-26 November 2014. Dr. Monga and J. Podobnik agreed that such kind of jointly organized activities strengthens the cooperation between the two organizations outlined by the Agreement between UNIDO and ICPE and by the Joint Communiqué signed by J. Podobnik and Li Yong, Director General of UNIDO. Dr. Monga confirmed his participation and lecturing on 19 November 2014. On the same date the ICPE MBA Alumni Club meeting will be organized and it will be chaired by Dr. Monga who is also the ICPE Alumni Club’s President.
The main subject of the meeting with H.E. Aliyar Lebbe Abdul Azeez was exchanging information about the forthcoming regular sessions of the ICPE Council and Assembly. The possibility for the representatives of Sri Lanka to attend the ICPE International MBA program and developing the cooperation according to the specific needs of Sri Lanka were also brought into discussion. H.E. Azeez appreciated the received information and supported ICPE in its efforts to establish a closer cooperation with the Administration of Sri Lanka as an ICPE Member State. He also expressed his wish to attend the ICPE Council meeting upon receiving information about exact date. It was agreed to continue the dialogue and intensify the exchange of information between ICPE and the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Vienna with the intention to develop mutual programs/activities.