IEA and India to start membership talks as Asian energy use rises

PARIS/HELSINKI -- The International Energy Agency is finalizing plans to open membership discussions with India, Nikkei has learned, as the organization seeks to strengthen cooperation in Asia to stabilize energy supplies and tackle climate change.

The agency is also preparing to establish its first regional office in Singapore by the end of this year, as a base to bolster ties with non-members such as Indonesia. The focus on Asia comes as the region grows into the center of global energy consumption.