Speaking at the “Oil and Gas of Turkmenistan-2009" conference in Ashgabat, IEA Deputy Executive Director Richard Jones said the Agency’s member countries, | most of which are Western European nations, were keen to secure Turkmen supplies. "Gas from the Caspian region in general and Turkmenistan in particular… will be very much needed in Europe". The conference mainly focused on the prospects for implementing the EU-backed Nabucco pipeline project, in which Turkmenistan will be the main supplier of gas.

The IEA November Oil Market Report warned that the recent spike in oil prices could derail the global economic recovery. | David Fyfe, head of the IEA Oil Industry and Markets Division, said “If prices keep rebounding, there’s a risk to the global economy as a whole, even to some of those economies in the Far East and even the Middle East.”

At the launch of the IEA World Energy Outlook 2009 in London, IEA Executive Director Nobuo Tanaka emphasised the importance of reaching a global agreement at the UN Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen| in December. Mr. Tanaka said “A deal at Copenhagen is vital. Governments must reach clear agreements to improve efficiency and develop alternative forms of energy…”