Asean considering conduct code for external energy partners, says Fadillah

Deputy Prime Minister Fadillah Yusof calls the Asean Power Grid the cornerstone for the cultivation of a resilient and sustainable energy future across the region.
KUCHING : Deputy Prime Minister Fadillah Yusof says Asean is looking to develop a code of conduct or guiding principles for its external energy partners as cooperation deepens with dialogue partners, including the US and Russia.
He said senior energy officials in the region are focused on harmonising rules and regulations as they work to finalise a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the Asean Power Grid (APG) at the ongoing 43rd Asean Senior Officials' Meeting on Energy.
The meeting, which began here on June 16 and runs until today, is hosted by the energy transition and water transformation ministry, which Fadillah leads.
In an exclusive interview with FMT, the deputy prime minister said member states will first work to finalise the terms of the MoU.
'The next step will be for senior officials to look into all the nitty-gritty, as far as the rules, regulations and standards are concerned.
'(The development of) a code of ethics or guidelines will be one of the areas that we need to focus on.'
The APG is a regional initiative aimed at interconnecting the electricity grids of Southeast Asian nations to promote multilateral power trade and energy security.
Its first phase, launched three years ago, enabled Laos to export up to 100 MW of hydropower to Singapore via existing interconnectors in Thailand and Malaysia.
Dubbed the Laos-Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore Power Integration Project, the project marked a significant milestone in Asean's cross-border electricity trade.
Last year, the four countries unveiled phase two of their power integration plan, aiming to grow the electricity trade from 100 MW to a maximum of 200 MW.
Speaking on Monday, Fadillah described the APG as the cornerstone for the cultivation of a resilient and sustainable energy future across the region.
He said realising the APG would require stronger political will, deeper technical cooperation and smarter investment strategies.
Fadillah said the terms of the MoU were 'more or less' agreed, and would be brought to the Asean energy ministers' 43rd meeting, scheduled to be held in Kuala Lumpur this October.
Asean's neutrality
Asked how Asean can maintain inclusive diplomacy while engaging with both the US and China, Fadillah reaffirmed the bloc's neutral stance amid rising geopolitical tensions.
' Asean has always been a neutral bloc. That has been our strength.
'What is more important to us is, number one—whoever we're dealing with, be it with the United States, China or Russia—it has to be for the interest of Asean,' he said.
Last month, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim reiterated Malaysia's commitment as Asean chair to defending the bloc's centrality and its long-standing principle of active non-alignment.
Meanwhile, Asean Business Advisory Council chairman Nazir Razak reaffirmed that Asean countries can engage in business ties with Russia, citing the bloc's adherence to neutrality under the Zone of Peace, Freedom, and Neutrality (Zopfan) declaration adopted in 1971.
Aside from senior officials, about 250 delegates are attending the meeting, including representatives from across Asean, the Asean Secretariat, the Asean Centre for Energy, and dialogue partners from China, Japan, Russia and the US.
The meeting also aims to finalise the draft for a new Asean Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (Apaec) and secure endorsement of the Asean Petroleum Security Agreement (Apsa).
The Apaec is intended to serve as a regional blueprint for energy collaboration, focusing on renewable energy, grid integration and energy security.
Meanwhile, Apsa aims to strengthen petroleum supply security across Asean, ensuring stability in times of shortages or disruptions.

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