ISLAMABAD The first ECO energy/petroleum ministers' meeting on Wednesday agreed to enhance cooperation among the member states for sustainable development and use of all forms of energy.
In a joint statement, issued at the conclusion of the one-day meeting in Islamabad, the participants agreed to cooperate with each other in the fields of planning, development, human resource training, information exchange, trade, transportation and encouraging private sector participation.
The meeting was attended by all the members states of the Economic Cooperation Organization, except Afghanistan, which was not invited.
It called for cooperation among the member countries in resource investigation, exploration, assessment, scientific and technical research, transfer of technology, upgrading of environmental impact assessments resulting from different activities in energy production and standardizing of energy related facilities.
"The member states shall endeavor to cooperate in studies on various energy development management measures and expediting and facilitating energy development schemes of common interests," the joint statement said.
It called for private sector's participation in all the fields, with particular stress on joint venture.
It also asked the ECO Secretariat to endeavor to expand the cooperation of ECO in the field of energy with other international organizations and institutions.
The meeting also approved some institutional arrangements, including regular meetings of the high level experts task group and ECO energy/petroleum ministers' meeting to give guidance and approve policies, strategies and action programs as envisaged under (its) joint statement.' The meeting also approved a four-year action plan for energy/petroleum cooperation in the ECO region (2001-2005).
The objective of the action plan is to coordinate, expedite and enhance the implementation of the existing strategic energy cooperation program, to develop ways to expand sustainable development and efficient use of resources.
The action plan also identifies the priority fields of common interest for more intensive follow-up, which include transportation and trade of oil, gas, electricity and other forms of energy, environmental impacts of energy exploration and use and human resource development.
It also underlines the task of working out a comprehensive techno-economic appraisal of interconnection and parallel functioning of electricity system of the ECO member countries to evaluate possibilities and benefits in this regard.
The action plan urged for coordination among the member states for strengthening energy-environment database, collating and disseminating innovative and effective energy impact assessment techniques and suggesting development of the linkage of the ECO with other sub-regional, regional and international organizations, dealing with energy-environment issues.
The action plan emphasized the need for cooperation in pursuing energy conservation measures of common interests and sharing of information on energy conservation studies and activities of their own countries.
"The ECO Secretariat, in collaboration with national focal points and relevant institutions/authorities in member states, shall coordinate and closely monitor the activities of the action program," it says.
It also calls for setting up ad hoc working groups to assist in formulating and implementing policies, strategies and programs.
The Secretary General of ECO, Dr. Abdolrahim Gavahi, also on Wednesday emphasized the need for expanding mutual cooperation among the ECO member states in the field of economic development.
In an exclusive interview at the sideline of the ECO meeting in Islamabad, he told IRNA, "Mutual cooperation in the field of oil and energy is one of the practical grounds for cooperation among the member states." He said, "The ECO member countries are, luckily, replete with energy resources and, besides meeting their internal needs, they can also export a good portion of their oil and gas production." Although the meeting supposed to be attended by ministries of the countries, no minister has participated in the meeting. All participants have been under ministrial level.
(IRNA)