The Highest Representatives of WPC Energy in Belgrade Hosted by NEKS

The three-day event was organised as part of NEKS’s support activities for the management of the National Energy Committee of Serbia within the Department for External Relations and Government Affairs in Serbia. The event benefited from the dedicated efforts of colleagues Danijela Tadić, Committee Executive Board Member representing NIS, responsible for external communication with WPC Energy, Mirjana Filipović, Executive Board Member representing HIP-Petrohemija, and Slađana Babić, Chair of the NEKS Supervisory Board, with the support of our company, the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, Transnafta, and other NEKS members.

During the first two days, meetings of the WPC Energy Executive Board and the Congress Programme Committee were held, during which, among other topics, the organisation of the upcoming 25th WPC Energy Congress was discussed. The Congress is scheduled to take place in April 2026 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

On the third day, organized by the National Energy Committee of Serbia – WPC Energy, with the participation of representatives of WPC Energy management bodies, a professional workshop entitled “Global Energy Sector Perspective” was held. During the workshop, the key trends in the energy sector were presented to the interested domestic audience and representatives of the energy sector. This significant event was attended by Dubravka Đedović Handanović, Minister of Mining and Energy of the Republic of Serbia in a technical mandate, who also serves as Chair of the Assembly of the National Energy Committee of Serbia – WPC Energy, and Marko Čadež, President of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce. Their presentations were followed by the presentation of the most important global trends in the energy sector by Pedro Miras Salamanca, President of WPC Energy, and Burcu Gunal, Director General of WPC Energy, delivered a presentation on the role and key strategic directions of WPC Energy.

Pedro Miras Salamanca stated that, although the participation of other energy sources is increasing, the share of oil and gas remains the most significant in the overall energy mix.

He spoke about the geopolitical context in the world and emphasised that fossil fuels accounted for 85% of primary energy production in 1973, while this share was 82% in 2022. However, according to him, 800 million people worldwide still lack access to electricity.

– What is necessary is to provide energy to everyone in the world, and we must use all available options – oil and gas, as well as renewable energy sources. This means that companies need to invest in the development of technologies within sound regulatory frameworks, which is not possible in the same way across all regions of the world – Salamanca noted. He added – It is also important that policymakers maintain stable regulatory frameworks. Regulations cannot be constantly changed, because then companies are unable to invest as they cannot predict what will happen in the future. We must not idealise anything, because there are no good or bad types of energy – energy must be delivered, stated Pedro Miras Salamanca.

During the workshop, three panel discussions were held during which the top representatives of WPC Energy management bodies discussed the new energy landscape and how technology is transforming markets and companies, the energy transition, and the global perspective with a focus on Europe and North America, as well as how young professionals drive progress in the energy industry and foster innovation.

Goran Stojilković, representative of Petrohemija in the NEKS Assembly and member of the WPC Energy Programme Committee, emphasised that it is very important for a small country in the oil and gas world, such as Serbia, to hold membership in such an important organisation as WPC Energy.

– Being at the table with all these key players in the global oil and gas industry is truly a privilege, and my role is to contribute to the organisation of the World Petroleum Forum Congress as Serbia’s representatives. I consider this a great personal honour, as well as a professional achievement and a compliment to Serbia, that as a relatively small producer it holds such an important role in the World Petroleum Forum – Stojilković said.

Asked about the topic of the next World Petroleum Congress in Riyadh, scheduled for 2026, he said that the main topic would be how to provide energy for everyone in an accessible and sustainable manner.

A lecture on gender equality in the global energy sector was also held, and the workshop was concluded by Professor Dragoslava Stojiljković PhD, Chair of the National Energy Committee of Serbia – WPC Energy, who emphasised the importance of the role of NEKS in the energy sector of Serbia and its connection with WPC Energy.

– NEKS has been monitoring global developments and evolved from the National Petroleum Committee of Serbia into the National Energy Committee of Serbia, because today the global aspect is much broader – it is not only about oil and gas, but about energy in general. We are all witnesses to increased fuel consumption, the need to ensure supply security, and, as a result, to respect environmental principles and sustainability – stated Prof. Stojiljković.

The workshop Global Energy Sector Perspective was attended by prominent domestic experts in the field of energy, all representatives of the Committee members, and recognized international experts from WPC Energy from 16 countries around the world, such as Saudi Arabia, Great Britain, Spain, USA, Canada, China, Germany, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Turkey, Russian Federation, Romania, Hungary, North Macedonia, Slovakia, Japan.