Asian and Pacific leaders signed an agreement Monday to help reduce their dependence on conventional sources of energy and promote the use of biofuels, while urging North Korea to abandon its nuclear ambitions. The Cebu Declaration on East Asian Energy Security was signed by leaders from Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, India, Japan, China and South Korea after a three-hour summit in the central Philippine city of Cebu. The agreement lists a set of goals for «reliable, adequate and affordable» energy supplies essential for sustaining economic growth and competitiveness. The East Asia conclave came two days after the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations completed its annual summit, vowing to strengthen political solidarity, fight terrorism and create a free trade zone by 2015. The ASEAN leaders and their counterparts from six Asian economic powerhouses also pledged to pursue investments in regional infrastructure through greater private sector involvement. The declaration calls for moves to improve energy efficiency and reduce dependence on fossil fuels, while urging countries to expand renewable energy systems and biofuel production and «for interested parties, civilian nuclear power.» It also calls for mitigating greenhouse gas emission and ensuring a stable supply of energy «through investments in regional infrastructure such as the ASEAN power grid and the trans-ASEAN gas pipeline.» The leaders also agreed to explore strategic fuel stockpiling to reduce their dependence on oil imports, according to the document, the Associated Press reported.
