KUCHING: The 43rd ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Energy and its associated meetings have commenced here today and will run until June 18, with about 250 delegates, including senior energy officials and representatives from the ASEAN Secretariat and ASEAN Centre for Energy.
Hosted by the Energy Transformation and Water Transformation Ministry in conjunction with Malaysia’s ASEAN chairmanship, the meeting involved all 10 ASEAN member states, namely Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, with Timor-Leste as an observer.
They are joined by dialogue partners China, South Korea, Japan, Russia, the United States, and representatives from the International Renewable Energy Agency, the International Energy Agency, the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia, the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank.
The Senior Officials Meeting on Energy and associated meetings aim to align ASEAN energy policies at the senior official level. The agenda includes reviewing progress on the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC) and preparing key decisions for the 43rd ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting, scheduled for October this year.
Discussions at the Senior Officials Meeting on Energy will focus on delivering consensus-based outcomes, such as an updated APAEC work plan, policy recommendations on regional energy security, renewable energy financing and grid integration.
Key outcomes are anticipated to include advancing the APG Enhanced MOU, finalising the draft APAEC policy document, and securing endorsement of the ASEAN Petroleum Security Agreement.
Priority discussion areas for SOME this year include the ASEAN power grid, the status of initiatives towards achieving APAEC targets, and energy transition financing.
