The temporary closure of the Strait of Hormuz has sent shockwaves through global energy markets, driving up fuel prices and tightening supplies, Cambodia’s Energy Minister Keo Rottanak told ANI. He described the disruption as widespread, affecting both advanced and developing economies and underscoring the urgency of reducing dependence on a single trade route or fuel source.
Nearly 20 percent of the world’s oil and gas shipments pass through Hormuz, Rottanak noted, so any interruption creates immediate risks to energy security everywhere. Countries that rely heavily on imported fossil fuels—India, Cambodia and many ASEAN members among them—are particularly exposed to price spikes and supply shortfalls.
Pointing to policy responses, Rottanak highlighted two complementary strategies: diversify import sources and accelerate deployment of renewable energy. He said India’s efforts to broaden suppliers and invest in solar and other clean sources have helped blunt the impact of the disruption, and he argued Cambodia’s similar measures have provided resilience that would otherwise be lacking.
For short-term relief Cambodia has worked to secure fuel supplies amid tighter global availability, temporarily lowered import duties on petroleum products, and promoted practical alternatives to LPG—such as electric vehicles and induction cookstoves—to reduce household and transport dependence on imported fossil fuels. He also stressed transparent pricing so citizens understand that higher costs stem from global supply constraints rather than local manipulation, a step he called essential to maintaining public trust.
Rottanak framed the episode as validation of renewable energy’s role in long-term resilience: diversifying both energy sources and supply routes reduces vulnerability to geopolitical shocks. The minister’s message is clear—governments should accelerate renewables deployment, broaden import partnerships, and adopt demand-side measures now to lessen the blow from future disruptions and improve energy security.
