The International Energy Agency (IEA) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have issued a joint statement applauding past collaboration and outlining future joint activities.
The IEA-ASEAN joint statement builds on a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the two organizations from 2011, serving as the basis for annual AMEM-IEA joint dialogues.
2 October 2014: The International Energy Agency (IEA) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have issued a joint statement applauding past collaboration and outlining future joint activities. The IEA-ASEAN joint statement builds on a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the two organizations from 2011, serving as the basis for annual AMEM-IEA joint dialogues.
The statement was issued during a dialogue event, which convened back-to-back with the 32nd ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting (AMEM) in Vientiane, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, on 23 September 2014. In addition to commending recent IEA collaboration with ASEAN, the joint statement, among other things: tasks the ASEAN Centre for Energy and IEA to work to identify key policy and investment targets for the ASEAN power sector; and announces the fifth AMEM-IEA dialogue, to be held in 2015 in Malaysia.
The AMEM Joint Ministerial Statement, issued upon the conclusion of the meeting on 23 September, inter alia, reiterates the need for a concerted effort to promote energy efficiency and conservation, develop and deploy renewable energy, and achieve interconnected regional power systems.
Speaking at the AMEM, Thongsing Thammavong, Prime Minister of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, underscored the importance of ASEAN energy cooperation and power integration, stressed the potential of hydropower as a non-polluting and renewable energy source, and emphasized the need for a concerted effort to reduce the impacts of climate change while ensuring sustainable economic growth in the ASEAN region.
Other events held consecutively included the 11th ASEAN Plus Three Ministers on Energy Meeting, and the 8th East Asian Summit Energy Ministers Meeting (EAS EMM), held on 24 September. On relevant work by the IEA, the EAS EMM Joint Ministerial Statement welcomes the IEA’s ‘World Energy Investment Outlook,’ published in June 2014. [IEA Press Release] [32nd AMEM Joint Ministerial Statement] [8th EAS EMM Joint Ministerial Statement] [IISD RS Story on IEA World Energy Investment Outlook 2014]