(Pasay City). Senior Officials on Energy of the ASEAN will discuss on Monday (25 September) the progress of implementing the Work Programmes under the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC) 2016-2025.

Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi said, “This Senior Officials Meeting on Energy will make the necessary actions to ensure the attainment of the ASEAN’s strategic objectives on energy.”

“The ASEAN meeting in the Philippines supports the country’s aim to be the knowledge hub for energy, especially on innovations, emerging technologies and resiliency strategies for the ASEAN.”

For two months, the Senior Officials were tasked to lay the groundwork for the activities of the APAEC covering the period 2016-2025 (Phase 1 covers the period 2016-2020). It comprises a series of policy guidelines to implement energy cooperation for the ASEAN towards regional integration.

The Senior Officials Meeting on Energy (SOME) Preparatory Meeting kicks off the activities of the 35th ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting (AMEM35), which will take place from 26-29 September 2017 at the Condrad Manila Hotel, Pasay City.

The activities under ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation will be recommended to the ASEAN Ministers on Energy for consideration during AMEM35.

The SOME Preparatory Meeting for the AMEM35 will be attended by Senior Officials on Energy, the ASEAN Secretariat, ASEAN Centre for Energy, the Secretaries-in-Charge of Heads of ASEAN Power Utilities/Authorities (HAPUA) and ASEAN Council on Petroleum (ASCOPE), lead coordinators for the Sub-Sector Networks, ASEAN’s development partners and international organizations.

"Ultimately, the goal of the gathering is to make the ASEAN more globally competitive," Cusi concluded.

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