Goa To Host International Energy Meet

Addressing a press conference yesterday, minister of state for petroleum and natural gas T R Baalu said Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda was likely to inaugurate the conference. The theme of the conference is A sustainable energy future.

The minister said the conference was a forum for high-level political dialogue in the field of energy among major producer and consumer countries. Some bilateral issues concerning the petroleum sector were also likely to come up for discussions during the conference.

He said invitations had been sent to 54 countries from across all continents and to nine institutions. Confirmation of participation by ministers from 24 countries and three institutions have already been received.

 

Baalu said it was the custom that apart from the host, two other countries were closely associated in the conference by being designated as co-sponsors. For the Goa conference, Norway and Brazil had consented to be the co-sponsors.

The purpose of the conference was to facilitate free and frank exchange of views at the highest level on the energy scenario with the hope that a common approach might emerge from such a dialogue to confront some of the most critical issues that he mankind would face collectively.

The minister said the agenda for the Goa conference was proposed to be covered through three plenary sessions. The themes for the three sessions are: growing energy needs of emerging economies, the strategic importance of oil and natural gas and a gloabal energy policy inter-relationship.