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.