Istanbul Hosted Key Meeting for EU4 Energy Transition Project

The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) headquarters hosted an important meeting to kick off the “EU4 Energy Transition: Covenant of Mayors in the Western Balkans and Turkey” project. This high-level discussion focused on introducing the project, refining the draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), and outlining the work plan for the Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan (SECAP) preparation.

The meeting brought together key representatives from the project team, including Ms. Daiva Matonienė, Project Team Leader in Turkey from the Central Project Management Agency (CPMA), and Chargé d’Affaires Ms. Vaida Stankevičienė from the Lithuanian Embassy, alongside senior officials from the IMM. Attendees included department heads and project coordinators who are crucial to the project’s successful implementation.

Opening the meeting, Ms. Stankevičienė introduced the Embassy and project team, emphasizing the significance of the project for Türkiye and the mutual commitment to climate change goals. She congratulated IMM on being one of the selected beneficiaries, expressing Lithuania's pride in coordinating this ambitious project.

Mr. Mehmet Alkanalka, Head of IMM's Foreign Relations Department, welcomed the project team, stressing the importance of this initiative for Istanbul. He introduced his team, who will play a vital role in executing the project activities.

Ms. Matonienė provided an in-depth presentation on the project’s objectives, rationale, and expected outcomes. She highlighted key aspects, such as the project's €3 million budget for Türkiye, its 48-month duration, and the planned partnerships. She also discussed the project’s capacity-building components, monitoring of SECAP actions, and the formation of a project steering committee.

Mr. Alkanalka reaffirmed IMM's commitment to preparing and adopting SECAP, noting the city’s obligations as part of the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group and the Covenant of Mayors (CoM). He welcomed the technical assistance offered by the project, acknowledging no objections to the draft MoU and indicating readiness to sign it.

The meeting concluded with an agreement to sign the final MoU and establish a project task team within IMM.