Joint Communique of the Third ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting on Energy Cooperation, Manila, 8-9 October 1981

The Third Meeting of the ASEAN Economic Ministers on Energy Cooperation was held in Manila, Philippines on 8 - 9 October 1981.
The Meeting was attended by H.E. Subroto, Minister of Mines and Energy of Indonesia; H.E. Datuk Leo Moggie, Minister of Energy, Telecommunications and Posts of Malaysia; H.E. Lee Yock Suan, Minister, of State for National Development of Singapore; H.E. Wing Commander Thinakorn Bhandhugravi, Minister of Science, Technology and Energy of Thailand; and H.E. Geronimo Z. Velasco, Minister of Energy of the Philippines.
The Meeting as officially opened by H.E. Ferdinand E. Marcos, President of the Philippines, at the Malacanang Palace.
The Meeting reviewed the progress that had been achieved in the field of energy cooperation since the Second Meeting of the ASEAN Economic Ministers on Energy Cooperation which was held in Kuala Lumpur in April 1981.
The Meeting was preceded by a Meeting of Senior Officials on Energy Cooperation held on 6 October 1981.
The Meeting approved the creation of a Coal Information Centre to be located in Thailand. The Meeting also asked the Experts Group on Coal to determine among others, the feasibility of setting up Regional Coal Depots and the need for joint procurement of coal.
The Meeting also agreed on a wide range of ASEAN cooperation in the power utilities sector, particularly in:
The Meeting strengthened its position on the formation of a seperate ASEAN Committee on Energy Cooperation (COEC).
The Meeting approved the recommendation of the Fourth Senior Officials Meeting to support the ASEAN project on Energy Conservation in Buildings being undertaken by the Committee on Science and Technology (COST).
The Meeting also arrived at a consensus to have cooperative undertakings on new and renewable energy sources after considering the Nairobi Programme of Action formulated at the U.N. Conference on New and Renewable Sources of Energy held in Nairobi, 10 - 21 August 1981.
The Meeting was held in the traditional ASEAN spirit of solidarity and cordiality.