First energy ministerial of South American, Arab countries held

Energy Ministers and senior officials from South American and Arab countries (ASPA) met in Abu Dhabi on January 16, 2013 for an inaugural meeting on the energy sector, held as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW), a release from the Government Information Agency (GINA) said.

The Government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) hosted the ADSW which consisted of five integrated events: the General Assembly of the International Renewable Energy Agency, the World Future Energy Summit, the International Water Summit, the International Renewable Energy Conference and the Zayed Future Energy Prize Awards ceremony.

The Guyana delegation comprised Prime Minister, Samuel Hinds, Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Energy Agency, Dr. Mahender Sharma, and Protocol Officer, Roopchand Bissessar.

GINA said that in the final declaration of the first energy ministerial of ASPA, the ministers and senior officials reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing energy links between the two regions and highlighted the opportunities for cooperation in the rapidly diversifying global energy portfolio.

The ministerial meeting put into action the Lima Declaration’s call for energy to form an axis and backbone of the bi-regional relationship in the coming years.

Energy Ministers agree on raft of measures in the areas of renewable energy, oil and gas, energy efficiency and the power sector.

To achieve the objectives of the declaration, the delegations agreed to develop a three-year work programme of follow-up actions in accordance with their overall policies, laws and regulations, GINA added.