68th Meeting of the Electric Power Council of the CIS Held at the ENERGOPROM Forum

The 68th meeting of the Electric Power Council of the CIS was held as part of the ENERGOPROM forum. The event brought together representatives of relevant ministries, industry organisations and energy companies from the Commonwealth countries.

The meeting was opened by Sergei Tsivilev, President of the Electric Power Council of the CIS and Minister of Energy of the Russian Federation. He noted that holding the Council on the sidelines of the ENERGOPROM forum has become an established tradition and an important platform for discussing strategic issues in the development of the power industry. “Holding the Council on the sidelines of the forum has already become a good tradition,” Sergei Tsivilev stressed. “Every year we gather in hospitable Kazan to discuss current issues, promising areas of cooperation and the latest trends in the global fuel and energy sector, which makes it necessary to set a course towards building a fair and sustainable energy model that meets the principles of energy justice.” The Minister highlighted the need to shape a new model of international energy cooperation based on equality, technological neutrality and fair access to resources. “Unfortunately, today we are seeing the trends that are unfolding in the world. The world has changed, and the principles of force and pressure have become dominant. Together we are creating a different world, based on different principles. In this regard, I consider it necessary to reflect this in the strategic documents being developed within the Electric Power Council”, he said. The address also noted the expansion of international cooperation: under the decision of the heads of state taken in November 2025 in Dushanbe, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation was granted observer status with the CIS. Rais (Head) of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov delivered a welcoming address to the participants of the meeting. He emphasised the importance of holding the Council meeting as part of the ENERGOPROM forum and noted the steady development of the region’s power industry. According to Rustam Minnikhanov, the economy of Tatarstan is showing positive dynamics: at the end of 2025 the industrial production index stood at 109.9%, while electricity consumption grew by 5.5% and reached 37 billion kWh, which exceeds the national average. “All of this requires us to secure capacity reserves, develop generation and improve the quality of power system operation management. We are carrying out a systematic modernisation of infrastructure aimed at increasing grid reliability, introducing innovative solutions and re-equipping generating facilities”, he noted. The Rais of Tatarstan also emphasised the republic’s readiness to expand cooperation with the CIS countries, pointing to the region’s strong industrial, scientific and technical potential. Deputy Secretary General of the CIS Denis Trefilov addressed the participants of the meeting by video conference. Holding the meeting as part of the ENERGOPROM forum confirmed the venue’s status as one of the key centres for discussing strategic issues in the development of the power industry across the CIS and for shaping new approaches to international energy cooperation.