ASEAN to boost energy security<\/p>\n
Agence France-Presse
\nKuala Lumpur<\/p>\n
ASEAN countries hope to adopt a five-year blueprint in 2004 to
\nboost energy security, encourage investment and build capacity in
\nthe sector, Malaysia's energy ministry said on Friday.<\/p>\n
Senior officials from the 10-member Association of Southeast
\nAsian Nations (ASEAN) discussed a draft of the ASEAN Plan of
\nAction for Energy Cooperation at a four-day meeting in Kuala
\nLumpur which ended on Thursday, the ministry said in a statement
\nto Bernama news agency.<\/p>\n
The blueprint will be submitted to ASEAN ministers to be
\nadopted at their meeting next year in June in the Philippines.<\/p>\n
The ministry said the plan of action would ensure the
\ncontinuity of major on-going cooperation to enhance energy
\nsecurity in the region and focus on integrating poorer members
\ninto certain projects to narrow the gap.<\/p>\n
This includes the ASEAN power grid, the Trans-ASEAN gas
\npipeline, coal, renewable energy, energy efficiency and regional
\nenergy outlook, policy and environmental analysis, it said.<\/p>\n
The blueprint will also focus on encouraging a conducive
\nenvironment to woo foreign investment, enhance human resources
\nand capacity building skills, boost energy efficiency and develop
\nrenewable sources of energy, it added.<\/p>\n
It is estimated that Southeast Asia's energy requirements will
\ngrow to nearly 400 million tones of oil equivalent by 2020 from
\n150 million in 2000.<\/p>\n
The region will require at least US$100 billion worth of
\ninvestment in its power sector over the next 12-13 years to meet
\nits rapidly growing energy needs, officials said.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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