Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 4 April (BelTA) – Belarus has a great potential for developing energy-efficient economy, said President of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Klaus Wucherer at the meeting at the State Committee for Standardization of Belarus on 4 April.

IEC top executives, President Klaus Wucherer and General Secretary Frans Vreeswijk, arrived in Minsk on 4 April to discuss the issues of current importance as well as the preparations for the IEC General Assembly that is due in Minsk in 2015. They also met with First Vice Premier of Belarus Vladimir Semashko.

According to Mr Wucherer, the parties discussed new areas in standardization, in particular, the use of standards in electronic equipment, electrical goods, energy efficiency, nuclear, wind, solar and water energy sources. “Your industry has been rapidly developing. Your have conditions for increasing exports of electrotechnical products, and the key here is the application of international standards,” said the IEC President. He believes that Belarus has a great potential to maximum efficiently develop the sector of electronics, electric engineering and electronic parts.

The IEC executives made a brief tour of the city, saw several venues where the IEC General Assembly may take place.

According to Chairman of the State Committee for Standardization of Belarus Viktor Nazarenko, the IEC General Assembly is a big event that will see representatives of 160 countries among its participants. The country is expected to host a total of 1,500 participants. “That is why it is of utmost significance to be not only technically ready to organize this forum but also show that out industry and business are ready to take part in the work of the Assembly and use the results of the IEC activities,” Viktor Nazarenko said. The program of the General Assembly will include sessions of at least 20 international technical committees on various areas of economic development. It will be important for Belarusian companies to partake in the work of these committees. First of all, it pertains to the producers of electrotechnical and electrical products, energy equipment, nuclear and thermal electric power stations.

The Belarusian official expressed gratitude to the IEC executives for their support of Belarus’ proposal to host the GA session. “Today Belarus is implementing a great amount of investment projects, upgrading its productions. Today it is vital for us to use IEC international standards as a guide in the development of new products,” Viktor Nazarenko said.

The IEC General Assembly sits every second year in various countries. Belarus will host this forum for the first time. “For Belarus it will be an opportunity to present itself, and will become its next step in further development and demonstration of the position that Belarus holds in the international arena,” Mr Wucherer stressed.

The IEC General Assembly in Belarus will also give the country a unique opportunity to establish business contacts, conduct consultations and talks on the implementation of investment projects with the world’s leading companies.

According to Viktor Nazarenko, the preparations for this high-level forum will help create favorable conditions for developing sci-tech and engineering potential of the country, enhancing the competence of the personnel of the Belarusian companies through their active participation in the work of the IEC technical committees.

Over the last decade the IEC General Assembly was hosted by China, Canada, South Korea, the RSA, Germany, France, Brazil, Israel, the United States, Australia, Norway. This year this forum will take place in India. Japan will be the forum’s host in 2014.

Founded in 1906, the International Electrotechnical Commission is the world’s oldest organization in standardization for all electric, electronic and related technologies. The organization is headquartered in Geneva. The annual IEC General Assembly is the organization’s supreme body. Belarus joined the organization in 1993.