Opening Remarks by Minister for Energy, Trade and Industry (Energy and Industry) Dr Tan See Leng at the 10th Singapore-IEA Forum

Dr Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA),

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

1. Good morning. It is my pleasure to welcome you to the 10th Singapore-IEA Forum.

2. This year marks a significant milestone for Singapore’s partnership with the IEA. Singapore became an IEA Association Country ten years ago, but our cooperation dates back even further, to 2011, when Singapore took on the country coordinator role for ASEAN–IEA cooperation.

3. Since then, our partnership has grown from strength to strength. Since 2017, the Singapore-IEA Regional Training Programme has equipped more than 1,600 participants from 30 countries with the technical knowledge and policy expertise in key areas such as energy efficiency, clean energy financing, and regional grid connectivity. The Singapore-IEA Forum has also grown into a strategic platform for policymakers, regulators, and industry leaders to exchange perspectives on the region’s evolving energy priorities, and contribute to the global energy dialogue.

4. The establishment of the IEA Regional Cooperation Centre (RCC) in Singapore – the IEA’s first office outside Paris – marked another important milestone. It has brought the IEA’s global expertise closer to Southeast Asia, while bringing the region’s perspectives and priorities more firmly into the IEA’s work. Since commencing operations in January 2025, the RCC has already made valuable contributions to regional capacity building, as well as studies on interconnector financing, ASEAN Power Grid (APG) implementation, and valuable technical inputs to the ASEAN Submarine Power Cable Development Framework. I would like to commend Centre Director Tan Sue-Ern and the RCC team for your dedication and hard work in supporting the region. Singapore remains committed to supporting the RCC.

5. Looking ahead, I see two areas where the IEA can continue making a meaningful difference to Southeast Asia.

6. First, strengthening regional energy security and resilience. Heightened volatility in global energy markets has reinforced the importance of strengthening the security and resilience of our energy systems. We welcome the IEA’s latest ASEAN Energy Security Review, which provides timely recommendations on enhancing collective oil, gas, and electricity security. Our focus now must be on translating these insights into action. The IEA can support ASEAN in strengthening regional preparedness and developing practical arrangements to enhance our collective resilience against energy disruptions.

7. Second, promoting cross-border electricity trade. Greater regional connectivity is itself an important part of strengthening our collective energy resilience. To realise the APG 2045 vision, building physical interconnections alone will not suffice. We also need clear and predictable rules and regulatory frameworks that facilitate cross-border electricity trade. The IEA can support ASEAN’s efforts by sharing international best practices and technical expertise on regulatory frameworks and power trading arrangements. It can also draw on its international credibility and evidence-based assessments to advocate for the mutual benefits of electricity trade.

8. In addition to partnering the IEA as an organisation, Singapore will also continue to deepen our energy cooperation with individual IEA member countries. In this spirit, the two agreements signed earlier today between EMA and the French Energy Regulatory Commission and New Zealand Electricity Authority will deepen cooperation on energy regulation, regional interconnectivity, and low-carbon energy technologies.

9. Over the past decade, Singapore and the IEA have built a solid foundation of trust and goodwill. Let us build on this foundation as we enter the next decade of our partnership, and work towards a more secure, resilient, and interconnected energy future for Southeast Asia.

10. Thank you. I wish everyone a fruitful Forum.