SAARC countries, which are looking for ways and means to meet the energy crisis from outside the region, will put into the final form a draft for cooperation among the countries at a meeting of an expert group beginning in Dhaka today.
'As SAARC are facing energy crisis, we are looking into scopes for import of oil and gas from outside the region. But the countries of the region need cooperation between themselves in this regard,' an energy division official said on Sunday.
He said that an expert group composed of energy division officials of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka had worked out a draft of the terms of reference on the field of cooperation among the SAARC.
He said that the expert committee would put into the final form the draft at a meeting in Dhaka today.
Bangladesh is hosting the two-day meeting of the expert committee, led by officials of the joint secretary rank of the members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation.
The official said that the terms of reference would be placed at the next SAARC summit, scheduled for November in Maldives, before taking up any specific project under the framework.
Ministries of the countries concerned will be working on the draft after the joint secretary level meeting, he said.
The expert group has in the draft emphasised building infrastructure for transport of oil and gas from the sources to destinations in SAARC countries in addition to exploration of sources of oil and gas outside the region.
The energy division official said that they were also considering technical and financial assistance in SAARC countries on the installation of oil and gas pipelines, liquefied natural gas terminal, and formation of a SAARC energy bank.
The SAARC countries are considering gas-enriched western, central and eastern Asia as long-term energy supplier, he added.
The SAARC countries are also planning to build cooperation in four different fields to meet the energy crisis in the region.
The other fields are renewable energy generation, electricity generation and transmission, and technology and knowledge sharing in the SAARC region.
Source : New Age
