ASEAN to sign MoU on regional power grid implementation
2025 will be a pivotal turning point for ASEAN’s energy cooperation, marking the culmination of the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC) Phase II (2021–2025), and the beginning of APAEC 2026–2030
Kuala Lumpur (VNA) - ASEAN member states are set to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the implementation of the ASEAN Power Grid during the bloc’s En꧅ergy Ministers’ Meeting this October.
Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said the MoU will outline a roadmap for the ASEAN Power Grid (APG), including the harmonisation of standards and regulations, as well as a business model for cross-border energy exchange among member states.
Fadillah, who is also Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation, said ASEAN had long discussed the APG. During his tenure as co-chair of the Energy Ministers’ Meeting in Vientiane last year, member states agreed to revisit the initiative and ensure that the APG becomes a central focus moving forward.
He expressed his hope that the current MoU will evolve into a formal agreement, marking a significant step towards implementing the APG.
Fadillah said 2025 will be a pivotal turning point for ASEAN’s energy cooperation, marking the culmination of the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC) Phase II (2021–2025), and the beginning of APAEC 2026–2030./.
According to a statement from Malaysia’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES), the dialogues served as strategic platforms to enhance collaboration between ASEAN countries and their partners in addressing pressing environmental and climate-related challenges.
Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on July 29 called on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to focus the bloc’s energies inward, towards building a more integrated and resilient ASEAN economy.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said key decisions regarding the APG roadmap were expected to be finalised at the 43rd ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting (AMEM) in Kuala Lumpur this October, following encouraging progress made during the recent Senior Officials Meeting on Energy (SOME).
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Indonesian Ambassador Rina P. Soemarno, who currently serves as Chair of the ASEAN Committee in Prague, emphasised the spirit of regional solidarity and cooperation, and the importance of enhancing ASEAN–Czech Republic relations.
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Vietnamese Ambassador to Israel Ly Duc Trung emphasised ASEAN’s central role in regional mechanisms such as the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and the East Asia Summit (EAS), highlighting its significant contribution to promoting peace, stability, and prosperity in Southeast Asia.
The consumer index of the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC), fell to 51.7 in July from 52.7 in the previous month. The sluggish economy and the trade war, as well as high living costs, continue to undermine confidence, the university said.
Deputy Speaker of the Hungarian National Assembly Istvan Jakab expressed his hope for further deepening Hungary’s ties with ASEAN countries and called for their support for Hungary’s accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia.
The 30-storey tower crumbled seconds after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake hit neighbouring Myanmar on March 28. The partially built high-rise, meant to house the State Audit Office (SAO), was the only building in Thailand to collapse, killing 89 people on the site, mostly construction workers.
Indonesia’s waste generation is projected to exceed 50 million tonnes in 2025. Of the total, more than 20 million tonnes could potentially enter the ocean through rivers, coastal areas, small islands, ports, and marine activities, and thereby, pose a risk to coastal ecosystems and marine biota.
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Malaysia’s gross expenditure on R&D (GERD) reached 1.01% of gross domestic product in 2022, a notable increase, with more than 51% contributed by the industry sector. The country is targeting GERD to reach 2.5% by 2030, in line with the national goal of transforming into a high-technology nation.
The facility was established in response to a growing shift in the Filipino labour force from the Middle East to Japan, where workers are seeking safer working environments.
In the latest Indonesia-US trade agreement in July, the US administration agreed to reduce the reciprocal tariff, which was initially set at 32% by US President Donald Trump last April, to 19%.
