Vital step

After the crisis, both the global and ASEAN economies are recovering. Although regarded as a fast growing region, ASEAN currently has to deal with many challenges, particularly climate change. Opening the AMEM 28 Conference, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung noted that ASEAN needs to continue cooperating and overcoming our own limitations to realize the goal of establishing and developing the ASEAN Community. “We must make every effort and deal with current problems effectively on the national, regional and international scale,” said the Prime Minister.

In recent years, ASEAN members have cooperated strictly, striven to develop new ideas and cooperation programs in many fields. Energy cooperation inside ASEAN has had many important steps forward. The Energy Ministers have agreed on the target and road map of the 2010-2015 ASEAN Energy Cooperation Plan. This year, under the theme “Energy and Climate Change”, the AMEM 28 Conference has reflected the determination and spirit of ASEAN members in 2010 and years to come.

However, while ASEAN energy consumption continues to rise, fuel prices tend to be highly unpredictable and the number of sources is plummeting. The Prime Minister said that the AMEM 28 Conference has an important task of proposing new ideas to encourage energy cooperation within ASEAN, to specify priorities and implement specific actions and energy cooperation effectively and realistically. This is also a perfect occasion for nations to discuss aspects of the current energy dilemma.

Making efforts by specific actions

In order for ideas and the ASEAN energy cooperation program to really be practical “we need to give more efforts”, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said. “Dealing with climate change as well as efficient energy consumption has to be one of our top priorities in the coming years”.

He also emphasized that the Conference should focus on strengthening the cooperation to ensure ASEAN energy security, including researching and developing new energy sources. Solutions to cope with climate change, reduce greenhouse gas emission also need to be carried out and combined cleverly with solutions to ensure energy security, develop investment, commerce and cooperation between ASEAN and other countries.

To realize these goals, we have to achieve 15% in total consumption in 2015 and higher the following years, the Prime Minister noted that we need to focus on cooperating in researching, and pushing the project of connecting the power grids, and gas lines within ASEAN, considering developing the energy market in the region.

Every country needs to give efforts in carrying the ASEAN Petroleum and Gas Security Treaty to ensure mutual provision of power and petroleum, gas among ASEAN members, especially in cases of emergency; strengthen commercial cooperation and investment in applying and transferring clean coal technology between ASEAN members and other countries to meet the rising demand for coal.

Energy development is also one of the factors that affect and damage the environment. The Prime Minister said that all countries should work together in establishing a regional policy to ensure energy security. For the development of low-carbon economies, he said “we need to have cooperation among ASEAN members and between ASEAN and the rest of the world”.

Researching and developing new energy sources can bring a lot of opportunities in diversifying energy sources without damaging the environment. According to the Prime Minister, we “need to continue supporting one another in using renewable energy in both small and large scales”.

We also need to pay great attention to establishing projects according to the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM); encourage efficient energy consumption by financial means; consider the choice of using nuclear energy for peace and as a durable and low-waste renewable energy source.

In order to realize all the goals set in ASEAN Action Plan for energy cooperation, the Prime Minister claimed we should “strengthen the exchanges and cooperation between businesses and governments”.

By Tran Quy