Okinawa, Japan
9-10 October, 1998
by
Ambassador Dato’ Noor Adlan
Executive Director, APEC Secretariat

It is my pleasure to be invited to say a few words. The advantage of doing so at this stage of the deliberations is that much light had been generated from the ensuing exchanges for the outcomes to be somewhat self-evident.

This is all the more important as next month in KL, APEC will mark a decade of work on regional economic cooperation towards the building of the Asia-Pacific community through achieving economic growth and equitable development through trade and economic cooperation on the basis of the 3 pillars of APEC activities. Intense growth in the economic of the Asia-Pacific over the past decade has had far reaching impacts on our societies.

We now face a very different situation and proposition which in posing challenges and yet create and open opportunities.

Our ability to overcome and adapt to the new development will determine the sustainability of the progress and growth of APEC.

The APEC Energy Ministerial process is one of the most active and effective points in APEC. Many activities have been embarked which have in one way or another contributed to the achievements of APEC goals. With the adoption of the APEC Energy Action Programme in 1995 and the convening of APEC Energy Ministers Meetings since 1996, your EWG has expanded its activities and accelerated its pace of program implementation. We have seen some important deliverables produced in the past 2 years.

Some deliverables are comering out here. Indeed the Hon. Minister from Malaysia had alluded to the Natural Gas Initiative which in itself will necessarily have to generate and integrate APEC’s instruments – liberalization, facilitation and economic and technical cooperation – in addressing emerging challenges.

Much as the economic crises in all its ramifications will occupy the centre stage of the KL Leaders Meeting, the on going APEC activities in particular the specific results and deliverables from the APEC fora is what will also make the difference if not give value added. I believe the contribution in input of this 3rd APEC Energy Ministers Meeting to the Leaders Meeting is clear from the Declaration that had just been adopted. Much credit for this repose on the efforts of your collaborators Sur, and your leadership in guiding to zero in on the issues before the Meeting.