Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Defence II Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof, as the minister in charge of energy, attended the 42nd ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting (AMEM) and its associated meetings at the National Convention Centre (NCC) in Vientiane, Laos from September 26-27.
Themed ‘ASEAN: Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience’, the meeting underscored the importance of AMEM as a platform to ensure ASEAN collective efforts in strengthening the ASEAN Community to seize opportunities and address present and emerging challenges effectively and ensuring the implementation of ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC), which has been instrumental in driving energy security, accessibility, affordability and sustainability in ASEAN. It highlighted the ongoing progress in developing the APAEC Post-2025 referring to the AEC Strategic Plan 2026-2030, emphasising the importance of creating a sectoral plan to address the region’s evolving energy challenges and the global megatrends.
The meeting acknowledged the importance of consultations with stakeholders, including with the ASEAN member states, dialogue partners and international organisations in ensuring that APAEC Post-2025 reflects diverse perspectives and priorities. The meeting therefore endorsed the theme of the APAEC 2026-2030: ‘Advancing Regional Cooperation in Ensuring Energy Security and Accelerating Decarbonisation for a Just and Inclusive Energy Transition’.
Laos Minister of Energy and Mines Phosay Sayasone as Chairman of the 42nd AMEM and Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (PETRA) Dato’ Sri Haji Fadillah bin Haji Yusof as the incoming chair of AMEM officiated the joint opening ceremony for the 42nd AMEM and the ASEAN Energy Business Forum (AEBF) 2024.
On the sidelines of the meeting, the minister also networked with Phosay Sayasone and Timor-Leste Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Francisco Da Costa Monteiro.
Meanwhile, Laos will also be chairing the 42nd AMEM dialogue with the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA); the 21st AMEM+3; and the 18th East Asia Summit Energy Ministerial Meeting (18th EAS EMM). The meeting will convene the 43rd AMEM in 2025 in Malaysia.
Brunei Ambassador to Laos Haji Roslan bin Haji Yacub, Permanent Secretary (Energy) at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Hajah Farida binti Dato Seri Paduka Haji Talib as Brunei Darussalam’s Senior Official for Energy (SOE) Leader and officials from the Department of Energy at the PMO accompanied the minister. – James Kon
