By IANS,
Gurgaon : Myanmar’s pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi Thursday invited “responsible” investments into her country’s rich energy sector and asked The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) here to help them in sustainable development.
“Myanmar is rich in energy resources, but also needs investment. We look for responsible investment that is not only sensitive to the environment, but also secures the future of our country,” she said during a visit to TERI.
“We need to learn more about handling our energy resources. Moreover, Myanmar also needs an effective energy policy,” she said.
Suu Kyi, chairperson of National the League of Democracy of Myanmar and a Nobel laureate, has been endorsing environmental conservation and adoption of sustainable models of development.
With TERI director general R.K. Pachauri, Suu Kyi toured research facilities and eco-friendly installations at the institute.
“We seek advice from TERI on how sustainable development can be brought about in Myanmar, and on the contours of a national energy policy,” she said.
“I also feel that people’s prosperity should be considered when we think of environment and energy. We need to boost local governance by strengthening people economically,” Suu Kyi said.
“Our two countries can be linked in a mutually productive programme of South-South cooperation, linking institutions such as TERI in India and those in Myanmar,” said Pachauri.
During her visit, Suu Kyi saw the Resource Efficient TERI Retreat for Environmental Awareness and Training, Micropropagation Technology Park, Nanobiotechnology Research Centre, a gasifier facility, Bioremediation Complex and other energy-efficient structures on the campus.
In 2008 and 2009, TERI distributed solar lamps and set up biomass gasifier systems for electrification of villages ravaged by Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar.