Mr. O. P. Rawat, ICPE Council president and Mr. Janez Podobnik, Acting Director General of ICPE visited Vienna

During the meeting in OFID Mr. Podobnik presented new ICPE Programmes and results of the 52^nd regular session of ICPE Council. He thanked OFID for giving three grants to ICPE in the previous period and expressed wish to reactivate collaboration with OFID. He also underlined the ICPE’s activities in organizing different kind of trainings and courses for the public/private managements in the least developing countries (LDCs) as well as in developing countries with transition economies. After very successful discussion Mr. Bencherif appreciated the meeting and confirmed OFID’s interest for co-operation with ICPE. He confirmed readiness to support ICPE in performing planned activities, especially in assisting countries and public sector in human capacity buildings in the area of managing energy access, improving energy efficiency, policy, services and utilities. Mr. Bencherif stressed that OFID works in cooperation with developing country partners and the international donor community to stimulate economic growth and alleviate poverty in all disadvantaged regions of the world. In this respect, he underlined that co-operation with ICPE would be more than welcome. It was agreed to continue dialogue and intensify exchanging of information with aim to define the most appropriate proposal for mutual co-operation.

(From left) Mr. Janez Podobnik, ICPE ADG, Mr. Rachid Bencherif, Head, Grants Unit, Office of the Director-General, OFID, Ms. Souhad Khriesat, Technical Assistance Officer, Grants Unit, Office of the Director-General, OFID and Mr. Nenad Stankovic, ICPE Representative in Vienna

During the stay in Vienna Mr. Podobnik and Mr. Stankovic met H.E. Ms. Blanka Jamnisek, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Slovenia to the United Nations, OSCE and other international organizations in Vienna and H.E. Mr. Aliyar Lebbe Abdul Azeez, Ambassador of Sri Lanka (Member State of ICPE). The main subject of those meetings was exchanging information after 52^nd regular session of ICPE Council, possibility for creating mutual programs and developing cooperation in accordance with needs and requirements of the countries. Ambassadors appreciated received information and supported ICPE in efforts to establish closer cooperation with international organizations, countries and their responsible administrations. It was agreed to continue dialogue and intensify exchanging of information between ICPE and these embassies.

(From left) Mr. Janez Podobnik, ICPE ADG, H.E. Mr. Aliyar Lebbe Abdul Azeez, Ambassador of Sri Lanka and Mr. Nenad Stankovic, ICPE Representative in Vienna