At the intergovernmental meetings last year, the member countries advocated expansion of the scope of the Tumen Pprogramme to include energy and telecommunications because of the critical importance of these sectors to economic cooperation in Northeast Asia.
Energy Update
The first meeting of the Energy Working Group took place in Beijing on 28 March, to determine what role the Tumen Programme can most effectively play in energy cooperation in the region. Delegations from all five Programme member countries participated in the meeting, and there were observers from the Northeast Asia Gas & Pipeline Forum (Japan) and the private sector.
The discussion covered a range of issues, including energy security and the potential role of the Tumen Programme in development of a strategic framework for cleaner energy sources in Northeast Asia. There was consensus that priority areas of concern for the Working Group are 1) policy formulation for energy cooperation, 2) establishment of an institutional framework for energy cooperation in Northeast Aisa, and 3) reduction or removal of non-physical barriers to energy trade in the region.
The delegations felt that it is important for the Programme to start with concrete projects in the energy sector, even on a small scale. Funding provided, these projects are likely to include information exchange to help governments with policy formulation, capacity building for policy makers, and assessment of national laws as a step towards the gradual harmonization of relevant national legislation.
Some delegations felt that the Tumen Programme can play a catalytic role in facilitating the transport and utilization of natural gas in Northeast Asia. Electricity transmission from the Russian Far East to other parts of Northeast Asia was another major discussion topic.

Telecommunications Update
Modern telecommunications and information technology have already become everyday necessities in most of the Tumen Programme member countries. China today has 156 million mobile telephone subscribers, ROK is on its way to building an IT-driven society, DPRK and the Russian Far East have had major foreign investment in telecommunications in recent years, and Mongolia is catching up with some Southeast Asian countries in terms of the teledensity of mobile subscribers.
The first meeting of the Tumen Programme Telecommunications Workign Group was organized by the Tumen Secretariat in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, On 18 April 2002. The meeting, hosted by the Ministry of Infrastructure of Mongolia, adopted the Terms of Reference for the Working Group and discussed possible areas of cooperation within the framework of the Tumen Programme. The member country delegations unanimously agreed to study national legislative acts and plans related to telecommunications development in each country as the foundation for future cooperation in this sector in Northeast Asia.