THE SECOND ASIAN MINISTERIAL ENERGY ROUNDTABLE MEETING, HOSTED BY THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA, WAS CONCLUDED IN RIYADH ON WEDNESDAY. THE MINISTERS ISSUED THE FOLLOWING JOINT STATEMENT: UPON AN INVITATION FROM THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA, MINISTERS IN CHARGE OF ENERGY AFFAIRS FROM SEVENTEEN ASIAN COUNTRIES MET IN RIYADH ON MAY 2, 2007 FOR THE SECOND ASIAN MINISTERIAL ENERGY ROUNDTABLE. THE PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES AND ORGANIZATIONS RECOGNIZE THE GROWING IMPORTANCE OF ASIA IN BOTH GLOBAL ECONOMY AND THE GLOBAL ENERGY MARKET PARTICULARLY IN TERMS OF OIL AND GAS. THEY ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT WITH ASIA'S CONTINUED ECONOMIC GROWTH, INCREASING LEVELS OF INCOME, AND GREATER PROSPERITY, THE CONTINENT'S DEMAND FOR ALL TYPES OF ENERGY IS SET TO INCREASE DURING THE COMING DECADES. THEY FURTHER RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE PLENTY OF ENERGY RESOURCES TO BE EXPLORED THROUGHOUT THE CONTINENT, WHICH IS CAPABLE OF MEETING FUTURE ASIAN AND GLOBAL ENERGY NEEDS. RECOGNIZING ALSO THE INCREASING IMPORTANCE OF BRINGING ASIAN DIMENSIONS TO BEAR ON EFFORTS TO THE DEEPEN THEIR GLOBAL DIALOGUE IN THE INTERNATIONAL ENERGY FORUM, IN PARTICULAR AT THE 11TH IEF MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE THAT ITALY WILL HOST IN APRIL 2008, THE PARTICIPANTS TO THE ROUNDTABLE. 1. CALL FOR GREATER COOPERATION AND COORDINATION AMONG AND BETWEEN ASIAN ENERGY EXPORTERS AND IMPORTERS WITHIN THE BILATERAL, REGIONAL AND GLOBAL CONTEXT, AND ENCOURAGE THE PARTICIPATION OF INTERNATIONAL BODIES SUCH AS THE INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY, THE INTERNATIONAL ENERGY FORUM, AND THE ORGANIZATION OF PETROLEUM EXPORTING COUNTRIES IN THE PROMOTION OF THE DIALOGUE AND COOPERATION. --MORE
