Illustrative image. (Source: Internet)

The 30th ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Energy (SOME) took place on July 2 in Cambodia, to discuss energy security within the bloc as well as green energy issues.

On speaking at the opening ceremony, Cambodia ’s Secretary of State for the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy, Chea Sieng Hong, said that the meeting was to ensure that by the time ASEAN becomes a single community in 2015, all member countries will be taking a joint approach to green energy issues and pooling their resources together.

Hong said that the meeting focused on energy security in the ASEAN region and developing green energies because of cost and climate change.

The meeting followed up the organisation’s plan of action for energy cooperation during the period 2010-2015, which focuses on an ASEAN power grid; a trans-ASEAN gas pipeline; clean coal technologies; new and renewable energies; energy efficiency and conservation and nuclear power, he said.

Hong also emphasised that these are just some of the measures that will ensure energy security and sustainability in the ASEAN region.

To reach these goals, the bloc needs to step up coordination and cooperation between its members and its partners, he said.

Several meetings were also held between senior ASEAN energy officials and the bloc’s dialogue’s partners including China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, India, New Zealand, Russia, the United States and the European Union.

The outcome of the 30th ‘SOME’ will be submitted to the ASEAN Ministers Meeting on Energy, to be held in September in Phnom Penh./.