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Press
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UNESCAP News Services
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17 April 2003
Press Release: G/03/2003
Two Koreas, Mongolia and Russia adopt Vladivostok
Statement on regional energy development and trade
BANGKOK (United Nations Information Services)
-- Senior officials from the two Koreas, Mongolia and the Russian
Federation have adopted the Vladivostok Statement, which outlines
a shared vision and common concerns for effectively addressing
energy shortages and for improving energy security in North-East
Asia.
At a meeting organized by UNESCAP in Vladivostok,
Russian Federation, from 8-10 April 2003, participants agreed
to review opportunities for inter-country cooperation in energy
infrastructure rehabilitation and development, and future energy
and electricity trade.
The Republic of Korea and the Democratic People's
Republic of Korea both attended the meeting with large delegations
headed by high-level officials. In addition, energy research
institutes from the Republic of Korea and the Russian Federation
signed a Memorandum of Understanding on future cooperation.
"While Eastern and Western Europe have relied
on oil and gas imports from Western Siberia for more than two
decades, the abundant energy resources of the Russian Far East
have yet to be developed for potential energy trade with nearby
industrialized Far East Asian markets," said a UNESCAP
energy expert.
The Vladivostok Statement sets forth proposed
modalities for an envisaged Collaborative Framework on Energy
Cooperation in North-East Asia. This includes a Sub-regional
Inter-Governmental Steering Committee of Senior Officials meeting
periodically to assign, guide and review the work of ad hoc
project-related inter-governmental task forces or working groups
on energy planning and electricity sector restructuring, potential
electricity interconnections, gas trade, oil supply security
or other related energy sector development issues.
Officials will meet again later this year to consider
the proposed Collaborative Framework. China and Japan are expected
to attend the follow up talks.
UNESCAP's Energy Resources Section, Environment
and Sustainable Development Division, organized the meeting.
For further information please contact:
Ralph Wahnschafft, Energy Resources Section, Environment and
Sustainable Development Division, ESCAP. E-mail: wahnschafft.unescap@un.org
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