Vietnam attends 39th ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting
VOV.VN - The 39th ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting (AMEM 39) and associated meetings opened with the theme of “We Care, We Prepare, We Prosper”, is underway from September 13 to September 16 via an online format.
As part of his opening speech during a meeting held on September 15, Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien announced the transfer of the chairmanship role of AMEM 2021 to Minister of Energy of Brunei Dato Seri Setia Dr. Awang Haji Mat Suny bin Haji Md Hussein.
Minister Dien thanked and highly appreciated the support shown by ASEAN member states in helping the nation to fulfill its role as AMEM 2020 Chair. As part of the occasion, he congratulated participants and expressed his confidence that Brunei will be successful in the role of AMEM presidency in 2021.
At AMEM 39, the Ministers acknowledged the results achieved during the implementation of the 2016 to 2025 ASEAN Energy Action Plan, particularly during the 2016 to 2020 period. Most notably, in 2019 ASEAN reduced its energy intensity by 21.8% and reached 13.5% of renewable energy as part of the total primary energy supply.
The result therefore helps ASEAN get 4.95/5 overall points to assess the level of completion of the Phase 1 Plan, thereby creating a good premise for moving towards energy targets set out in phase 2 for 2021 to 2025.
The regional bloc has also set a target of reaching 23% of the total primary energy supply of the proportion of renewable energy, whilst also seeking to reduce the energy intensity by 32%.
Participants also highlighted the remarkable progress made in regional projects, especially in continuing to expand ASEAN multilateral power grid linkages with the participation of Singapore, Laos, Thailand, and Malaysia which approved the signing of the joint declaration on electric grid connections. They also granted approval for the building of four more LNG port projects in Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia.
During the event, ASEAN Energy Ministers issued the Bandar Seri Begawan Joint Statement on Energy Security and Energy Transition to affirm the will of the bloc to jointly pursue the goals of regional energy security and transition. It also offers financial solutions, investment attraction, and technical support as a means of developing a low-carbon economy in the ASEAN community.