INDONESIA, THAILAND HIGHLIGHTING ENERGY AND FOOD SECURITY IN ACD SUMMIT Kuwait, Oct 16 (ANTARA) Indonesia and Thailand

d are highlighting the importance of cooperation in energy and food security in the First Asian Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) summit officially opened here on Tuesday. In a doorstep interview before the opening of the summit, Vice Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources of Indonesia Rudi Rubiandini R.S, Indonesia said would like to give more focus cooperation on energy and food security during the summit, as the two issues were regarded as the basic of life. This forum is the biggest in the number of countries participating in the summit and practically energy and food security is the basic target to be achieved for the prosperity of their peoples life. Till now, Indonesia is still highlighting the importance of promoting cooperation on energy and developing renewable energy and food security in sustaining the development programs already set by each ACD member, he said. Each ACD member countries should find the potentials of their country in energy that could be developed to meet rising demand for energy from year to year. Indonesia in particular prioritize on efforts to develop renewable energy as a way out to reduce the countrys dependence on non renewable energy, he said, adding that the renewable energy being developed had to do with wind, solar and Panas Bumi, ocean and waive energy as well as micro hydro energy. The government of Indonesia is current accentuating the development of such energy gained from biogas from waste, solar and wind energy and micro hydro operated by local community or individuals in addition to developing the exploration of crude oil. The cooperation in energy could be done under joint venture schemes between businessmen of Indonesia and those of other ACD members. Practically the government only functions as a facilitator to let businessmen among ACD member materialize the results achieved in the summit in a more concrete manner. Sharing opinion with Indonesia, ACD Coordinating General who is Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul said his country will more focus on energy and good security. As a country which has expanded the marketing of its agricultural products and agro industrial product to many countries in the world, he said food security should be attained first as it is only way to prevent people from hunger. The government of each ACD member country should try hard to feed their people by maintaining the food security. Then security in energy should run in tandem with effort to develop in food security.

Therefore, he further added that the summit could be capitalized on to romote interdependence among Asian countries in all areas of cooperation by identifying Asia's common strengths and opportunities which will help reduce poverty and improve the quality of life for Asian people, whilst developing a knowledge-based society within Asia and enhancing community and people empowerment. In addition, each member countries could expand the trade and financial market within Asia and increase bargaining power of Asian countries in lieu of competition, and in turn enhance Asia's economic competitiveness in the global market. More important, he stressed, the forum could serve as the missing link of Asia by building upon Asia's potentials and strengths through supplementing and complementing existing cooperative frameworks, so as to become a viable partner for other regions. Ultimately transform the Asian continent into an Asian community, capable of interacting with the rest of the world on a more equal footing and contributing more positively towards mutual peace and prosperity is also the aim of the forum, he said. ***2*** (T. E002/ )