The Meeting of the Sub-Committee on Asian Integrated Energy Market
Moscow, May 15 2008

The Sub-Committee on Asian Integrated Energy Market held its 1st meeting on 15-16 May 2008 in Moscow, the Russian Federation. Delegations composed of APA delegates and energy experts from the following Member Parliaments participated in the meetings of the Sub-Committee: Afghanistan, Bahrain, China, Kuwait, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, the Philippines, Russian Federation, and Saudi Arabia.

Some delegations expressed the need to explore ways to bring West Asia, East and South East Asia together in all carriers of energy, and discuss the broader issues of energy. The Sub-committee discussed the issue of oil prices and its impact on the food supply. References were made to high oil prices and the need to address the consequences of continuing rising prices of oil for importers of energy, particularly oil importing developing countries.

The Sub-Committee listened with interest to the Secretariat presentation on Asian Gas Network and decided to further consider it in the second meeting of the Sub-Committee to allow Member Parliaments more time to study the issue with their governmental experts.

The Sub-Committee recommended a resolution on establishing the “APA Advisory Council on Energy” to the first APA Executive Council meeting of 2008 in which it was decided, inter alia, to establish “Advisory Groups” as need arises on specific issues of energy to provide technical advice to the Sub-Committee in order to pursue the implementation of the objectives delineated in the Plan of Action on Promotion of Asian Integrated Energy Market.

The Sub-Committee decided to hold its second meeting at a venue and date to be coordinated by the Secretary-General in order to further consider the report of the Secretary-General and make further recommendation to the First Executive Council meeting in 2008 to be forwarded to the APA for consideration of the Standing Committee on Energy.