Ministers of Energy from various Southeast Asian countries in ASEAN are currently gathered in Indonesia, specifically in Nusa Dua, Bali. Indonesia holds the chairmanship of ASEAN for the year 2023. This meeting is being held to discuss energy resilience across ASEAN.
The Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Arifin Tasrif, is also present, representing Indonesia and its commitment to making a significant contribution. He highlighted three key areas where Indonesia seeks to play a leading role: regional cooperation, sustainable energy resilience in ASEAN, and the inclusion of a new ASEAN member, Timor-Leste.
Minister Arifin Tasrif emphasized the second point, which is currently being promoted by the government, especially the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, namely, sustainable energy resilience. He mentioned that to achieve this, they are pushing for greater interconnectivity among ASEAN member countries.
“The ASEAN energy tagline encompasses three energy pillars: sustainability, security, and interconnectivity. These pillars represent our main challenges in accelerating energy connectivity to achieve sustainable growth in ASEAN,” said Arifin when opening the 41st ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting (AMEM) in Nusa Dua, Bali, on Thursday, August 24, 2023.
To realize this goal, Arifin continued, they will enhance energy supply interconnectivity in ASEAN through the Trans-ASEAN Gas Pipeline (TAGP) and ASEAN Power Grid (APG), as well as commitments from other parties.
“These platforms will support the path toward sustainable and secure energy, fostering sustainable and secure growth in ASEAN,” he concluded.
At the same event, Arifin also welcomed Timor-Leste as a new member of ASEAN. “Timor-Leste is expected to learn about the progress and implementation of energy cooperation in ASEAN through related programs and meetings,” he added.
In his closing remarks, Arifin expressed his hope that AMEM-41 and AEBF would contribute to investment and cooperation in the three pillars of ASEAN Energy: Sustainability, Security, and Interconnectivity.
“Our success in these two important events is an effort to achieve the second phase of the ASEAN Plan for Energy Cooperation and the Net Zero Emissions (NZE) targets of each country,” he noted.
It’s worth noting that The ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting (AMEM-41) is taking place in Nusa Dua, Bali, from August 24 to 25, 2023. This meeting of ASEAN Energy Ministers aims to intensify cooperation in the development of energy resources in the ASEAN region, attract private sector participation, and promote investment in the ASEAN energy sector.
AMEM-41 also aims to further encourage the development of cross-border energy infrastructure projects in ASEAN member countries to achieve sustainable energy resilience through interconnectivity.
This event will also reaffirm ASEAN’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions and accelerating a fair and inclusive energy transition in the ASEAN region.
