ASEAN's Blueprint To Enhance Mutual Energy Security

The Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) is developing a plan to ensure regional energy cooperation as well as enhance mutual energy security. In a statement released in December 2003, Malaysia's Ministry of Energy, Communications and Multimedia said once ready for adoption, the plan, which is to be called 'ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation', will be the blueprint for regional energy cooperation for the next five years (2004-2009).

The plan of action will ensure the continuity of major ongoing energy cooperation areas and enhance energy security in the context of sustainable development. The blueprint will focus on:-

Strengthening coordination/participation in programme areas to narrow the gap among ASEAN members, vis-a-vis the ASEAN power grid, Trans-ASEAN gas pipeline, coal, renewable energy, energy efficiency and regional energy outlook, policy and environmental analysis;
Encouraging a conducive environment for greater private sector investment and involvement including securing foreign direct investment;
Enhancing human resources and capacity building skills;
Developing and enhancing the energy mix and supply sources through utilisation of the region's full energy potential to include frontier exploration and development of oil, natural gas, coal, hydropower and geothermal resources; and
Enhancing energy efficiency and renewable sources of energy which includes new energy sources.

The blueprint is in line with the ministerial policy statement made during the 21"ASEAN Ministers of Energy Meeting in July 2003 in Langkawi, Malaysia. The draft of the blueprint was deliberated during the ASEAN Special Senior Officials on Energy Meeting held in Kuala Lumpur in December 2003.The plan of action will be submitted for consideration at the 22nd ASEAN Ministers of Energy Meeting in the Philippines in June 2004.