Washington, March 17 (IANS) The United States has secured energy agreements worth $57 billion with Indo-Pacific partners, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said noting that this is part of a broader push to strengthen allies' energy security.
The deals were finalised during the first Indo-Pacific energy security conference, led by the United States and attended by participants from across the region.
It is “$56 billion (from) over 22 deals,” Burgum told Fox News in an interview.
He said more than 630 participants attended the conference, which brought together allies “from Australia and New Zealand all the way up to Japan.”
The initiative, he added, is rooted in President Donald Trump’s energy policy to expand US energy exports to friendly nations.
“This is President Trump’s energy dominance policy, which is about that we need to sell energy to our friends and allies so they don’t have to buy from adversaries, so they don’t have to be dependent on sources of energy that can be controlled or constrained by a terrorist regime,” Burgum said.
He stressed that the conference had been planned months in advance and was not linked to ongoing geopolitical tensions elsewhere.
“This has been part of President Trump’s energy dominance policy since Day One,” he said.
According to Burgum, the event was “oversubscribed” and included ministerial-level engagements with participating countries. Officials from multiple US agencies, including the Department of Energy, State Department, Commerce Department and the Department of the Interior, took part in discussions.
“Every single country that was here, we did a ministerial meeting with them this afternoon with about six different Cabinet agencies there,” he said.
Burgum said leaders from several Pacific island nations, including three presidents, attended the gathering and expressed interest in strengthening energy ties with the United States.
“They all want to have energy security. They see the US as a reliable partner,” he said.
He pointed to the United States’ position as a leading global energy producer as a key factor driving demand.
Burgum said that the United States is now seen as the No. 1 oil producer, the No. 1 gas producer and the top LNG exporter.
Among the agreements announced was a major liquefied natural gas (LNG) deal involving US-based Venture Global.
“One of the biggest ones is a $10 billion offtake agreement between Venture Global and one of the leading companies in South Korea,” he said.
The agreement follows the company's recent expansion to boost export capacity.
“Coming off the backs of Venture Global announcing on Friday night an $8.6 billion expansion to increase their ability to export US gas,” Burgum said.
He added that such deals would have economic benefits within the United States while also supporting partner nations.
“This, of course, means fantastic jobs in America along the Gulf Coast, and it also means for our allies being able to have a supplier that’s dependable, reliable, and affordable,” he said.
The Indo-Pacific region has become a focal point for US strategic and economic engagement, particularly in energy and supply chains. Washington has sought to position itself as a stable supplier of oil and gas amid concerns among allies over supply disruptions and geopolitical risks.
The US is currently among the world’s largest producers and exporters of oil, natural gas, and LNG. Energy exports have increasingly been used as a tool of foreign policy, especially in regions seeking to diversify away from politically sensitive or unstable sources of supply.
--IANS
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