Ethiopian Review

Addis Ababa – The African Union Commission announced that the first Africa-South America (ASA) Joint Ministerial Conference on Energy will be held here 26-30 May 2009.

In a press release it sent to WIC, the AUC said the participants in this conference will be Ministers in charge of energy, senior policy makers/planners in the energy sector of ASA member states, regional and international institutions involved in the energy sector.

The conference will help stimulate bilateral and multilateral programs and projects, expend exchange of technical and managerial knowledge as well as furthering transfer of expertise between Africa and South America, the release said.

The main objective of the first (ASA) joint conference of Ministers responsible for Energy is to adopt strategic guidance as well as programs and projects of regional and continental scope and an Action Plan to foster cooperation and partnership that will be profitable to all especially in order to better exploit the abundant resources found in the two regions, it said.

The most expected outcome of such interaction should result in improving the mutual knowledge in areas of common interest, enhancing bilateral relations between countries and deepening the harmonization processes of the two regions in all areas of cooperation such as in the energy sector, it added.

According to the release, the ASA cooperation initiative came into being following the first Africa-South America Summit of Heads of State and Government which was held in Abuja, Nigeria, on 26-27 November 2006.

The meeting of experts will be held on 26-28 May 2009 while the ministerial conference will be held on 29-30 May 2009 both at the AU headquarters, it noted.

- WIC