ASEAN energy officials start annual meeting

ASEAN energy officials start annual meeting

MANILA (Reuter): Senior ASEAN energy officials began their annual meeting yesterday and in two days of closed door talks are expected to further discuss plans for a regional gas pipeline system and an electricity grid.

The gas pipeline system would link current and possibly planned pipelines in Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.

ASEAN energy ministers will gather on Wednesday and issue a joint statement, Philippine Energy Secretary Francisco Viray said.

"We still don't know exactly what the joint statement will say as this will depend on the senior officials' recommendations," Viray told reporters.

Viray said energy officials of Burma, Cambodia and Laos, which are expected to be admitted to ASEAN later this year, have come as observers to the meeting.

The meeting may consider the admission of the three countries to the ASEAN Petroleum Security Agreement, Viray said.

Under this agreement, oil exporting member nations are committed to supply crude to other members in times of shortage.

The Association of South East Asian Nations groups Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.