Malaysia to Increase Cooperation in Biofuel

Malaysia has urged its private sector to work with its counterpart in Brazil in developing biofuel as an alternative source of energy.

Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Rais Yatim said with the abundant natural resources in Mercosur member states which comprised Brazil, Argentina, Uruguary, Paraguay and Venezuela, Asean countries could work with their counterpart to develop these resources.

He said the proposed joint ventures would also work towards enhancing the prosperity of stakeholders in agriculture and commodity based industries of both groups through stable and remunerative prices.

Rais made the proposal at the Asean-Mercosur inaugural meeting Monday in Brasilia, Brazil, which was attended by ministers of member states of Asean and Mercosur.

In a statement which was faxed here Tuesday, Rais said the proposal was also in line with Malaysia’s National Biofuel Policy, which envisioned the use of environmentally friendly, sustainable and viable sources of energy in order to reduce dependency on depleting fossil fuel.

He also reiterated the need for immediate steps to be taken by the world body to curtail the rising crime of piracy and armed robbery at sea.

On the global food crisis, Rais said Asean-Mercosur needed to analyse all levels of the complex inter-relationship between climate change, increased use of biofuel and increasing price of agricultural products that were affecting today’s food supply.

The meeting also adopted a proposal by Rais for senior officials of Asean-Mercosur to meet in Kuala Lumpur in March next year to discuss issues of mutual interest.

Malaysia has raised its 2008 biodiesel export forecast to 200,000 tonnes, more than double that of last year’s 95,013 tonnes.

The Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) said Malaysia exported 128,527 tonnes of biofuel in the first nine months of this year.

Malaysia has expressed its interest in biofuel cooperation among D-8 member countries in the Working Group for Energy this year in Cairo, Egypt.

Source : http://www.developing8.org/2008/11/28/malaysia-to-increase-cooperation-in-biofuel/