ISLAMABAD, Oct 1: Energy ministers from Saarc member states on Saturday decided to set up a Saarc Energy Centre in Pakistan and to examine the viability of electricity interconnection master plan, envisaging a uniform policy and institutional, technical, fiscal and regulatory framework for energy trade among the member states.

This was the outcome of a one-day meeting of energy ministers of the member states of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation held here on Monday.

The meeting was preceded by two-day technical deliberations among the energy secretaries of the South Asian countries, besides other senior officials and heads of energy-related institutions.

The member countries of Saarc decided with consensus to establish a Saarc energy centre in Pakistan to achieve the objective of creating an energy ring in South Asia.

One of the most ambitious objectives of the energy centre will be to study the viability of a Saarc power interconnection master plan for inter-linking power supplies among the member states, in an area where surplus power is usually thousands of kilometres away from energy deficient regions and countries.

A senior petroleum ministry official told Dawn the energy centre would strengthen the region’s capability in addressing global and regional issues in energy sector by enhancing the coordination of energy strategies of Saarc member states.

He said it would facilitate inter-regional trade in energy through the establishment of interconnecting arrangements of electricity and natural gas within Saarc such as the proposed power grid stations and trans-national gas pipelines.