JAKARTA - Middle East tensions have led ASEAN countries to be asked not to wait for oil supplies to be disrupted first. Philippine Senator Sherwin Gatchalian urged his government to encourage the activation of the regional oil security pact.
Dilansir Philippine News Agency (PNA), Selasa, 28 April, Gatchalian mengatakan Filipina punya posisi kuat karena menjadi tuan rumah KTT ASEAN tahun ini. Menurut Gatchalian, Manila bisa mendorong agar ASEAN Petroleum Security Agreement atau APSA benar-benar dijalankan.
APSA is a framework created in 2009. The goal is for ASEAN countries to help each other in the event of an energy emergency.
The call came as tensions in the Middle East continued to disrupt global oil markets. The risk of supply bottlenecks is assessed as being able to suppress the economies of the region's countries.
"The ongoing conflict in the Middle East shows how easily external shocks can disrupt our energy supply and threaten the economic growth of ASEAN member countries," said Gatchalian, Chairman of the Senate Ad Hoc Committee for Proactive Response and Strategic Oversight of Timely and Effective Crises, quoted by PNA.
One of the important mechanisms in the APSA is the Coordinated Emergency Response Measures. Through this mechanism, ASEAN countries can supply oil to other members who are experiencing critical shortages.
The size of the shortfall is not small. That is equivalent to at least 10 percent of normal domestic needs for 30 consecutive days.
Gatchalian assessed that the activation of APSA would strengthen ASEAN's energy resilience and provide cushioning when supplies are disrupted.
"As hosts of this year's ASEAN Summit, we have a platform to bring to life and activate this long-standing agreement," he said.
Gatchalian emphasized the need for quick steps so that the existing regional mechanisms can be fully used to maintain ASEAN energy security and economic stability.
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