A Message from the

Executive Director

As the 2nd ACE Executive Director, it is my pleasure to join this regional inter-governmental energy organization and have an opportunity to carry its continued operational into the future.

I trust that, as a result of ACE's past 5 years performance, the meaningful and constructive results and outcomes for balanced energy development and sustained growth in ASEAN could be better-identified. Indeed, it would prove useful and timely to all ASEAN and non-ASEAN members in overcoming energy security as well as the world economic turbulence looming on the horizon.
To accomplish all the ACE's committed tasks under the supervision of ACE Governing Council, I would like to assure you that the ACE will work more closely with all ASEAN member countries and dialogue partners together with ASEAN Senior Officials on Energy (SOE) Leaders. We will continue its role of providing key facilitations to the various specialized energy organizations of ASEAN (ASCOPE, HAPUA, AFOC, RE-SSN, EE&C-SSN and REPP-SSN) to help them implement their planned activities as highlighted in our future ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC) consisting of 6 major program areas, 33 strategies and more than 90 actions.

One of the most important developments within ACE will be the effective re-organization of management and operational systems to make ACE much more flexible and able to respond rapidly to changing situation. I would declare that for the years to come, ACE will not only take a facilitating and coordinating role, but ACE will launch a pro-active role in promoting energy technologies and innovation, providing policy recommendations, becoming Private Sector Energy Hub and channeling the need of private sector to the attention of the ASEAN Inter-Governments regarding New Business Opportunity and Government Policy Update to strengthen ASEAN International Cooperation for Sustainable Energy Development. All these numerous increasing activities in the future operation of ACE really need constant support from ASEAN member countries both public and private sector to raise additional Resources Mobilization to strengthen ACE's capacity building and its sustainability in the long run.

ACE will also open up more opportunities to support the programs and projects by strengthening existing relationship of ASEAN and other dialogue partners such as the EU, METI of Japan, NEDO, AusAID of Australia, ENTEC of Switzerland, GTZ of Germany, USAID, UNIDO, UNEP, ADB, etc. We will also pursue strong cooperation with China, Korea, and Japan under the framework of the ASEAN + 3. Some cooperative undertakings will also be further expanded with various international organizations such as the Asia Pacific Energy Research Center (APERC), International Energy Agency (IEA), ASEAN Secretariat, UN-ESCAP, KEEI, ECCJ, IEEJ, etc.
I would like to thank the Government of Indonesia, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources and the Directorate General of Electricity and Energy Development for their warm hospitality and excellent hosting arrangements made for ACE Head-Quarter in Jakarta.

Thanks are also due to the ASEAN Secretariat for consistently providing key support to ACE and other specialized energy organizations to enhance energy cooperation of ASEAN member countries and other ACE dialogue partners. And, to all ACE staffs for their continuing hard work for the years to come. As I always said "The credit is theirs"

Rest assured, that I will treasure and protect the ACE to the best of my ability and in the same manner, I shall fully dedicate myself to the ACE during my term, to maintain its status as a Regional Hub for Energy Affaires in the South East Asia.

(Weerawat Chantanakome, Ph.D.)