SINGAPORE TAKES WAIT-AND-SEE APPROACH TO IRENA

UNCLAS SINGAPORE 000565

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

EEB/ESC - DMONOSSON
OES/EGC - GTHOMPSON
IO/EDA - RWEBBER
EAP/MTS - MCOPPOLA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ENRG KGHG SENV SN
SUBJECT: SINGAPORE TAKES WAIT-AND-SEE APPROACH TO IRENA

REF: A. STATE 59971


B. SINGAPORE 23

(SBU) Singapore has not signed the International Renewable
Energy Agency (IRENA) Statute and did not send a delegation
to the Founding Conference held in January, Lee Choon PHUA,
Assistant Director in the International Relations Division of
the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, told Econoff
June 12. Phua was not aware of any Singapore delegates
invited to attend the June 28-30 preparatory meeting in
Cairo. Econoff shared Ref A points with Phua, but she said
that the GOS has not decided whether it will become a
signatory to IRENA and is waiting to see how things unfold
with the organization, such as where it will be located and
how its mission will be defined. The GOS still has concerns
about potential duplication of renewable energy efforts and
fees that IRENA might assess (Ref B).

Visit Embassy Singapore's Classified website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eap/singapore/ind ex.cfm
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