In a significant achievement, the Energy Ministers of the Saarc nations on Friday finalised the framework agreement for energy cooperation.
This agreement has been pending since 2010, and is a crucial step towards developing a Saarc Market for Electricity (SAME) on a regional basis, reports Indian media.
The two days meeting concluded on Friday with the ministers’ assurance to get the Saarc Framework Agreement for Energy Cooperation (Electricity) approved from their respective governments so that it could be signed during the forthcoming Saarc Summit scheduled to be held in November 2014 in Kathmandu, Nepal.
India proposed to host the Seminar on ‘Sharing Experiences on Energy Pricing Mechanism in the Saarc Region’.
India also proposed to host the Second Meeting of the Expert Group on Technology/Knowledge Sharing, including energy efficiency and coal, in 2015.
Bangladesh will convene the Meeting of Energy Regulators /Bodies in Saarc countries by December 2014.
Earlier addressing the inaugural session of the 5th meeting of the Saarc Energy Ministers in New Delhi on Friday, Indian Union Minister of State for Power, Coal, New and Renewable Energy Piyush Goyal called for building a Saarc power grid so that excess production of power in one region can easily be used to meet deficit elsewhere.
Goyal said, “Rivers can flow only in one direction, but power can flow in the direction of our choice! I dream of a seamless Saarc power grid within the next few years.”
Earlier, Secretary General of SAARC Secretariat Arjun B Thapa opened the meeting with his address.
Apart from the host country India, Energy Ministers and senior officials from the SAARC member countries – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka participated in the meeting.
Source: UNB
