Sydney, March 27 -- Vietnam possesses the fundamental conditions to become a very strong independent fuel and energy country, but it needs clear long-term targets and stable policy commitments to fully realise this potential, an Australian energy expert has said.

Speaking to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA)'s correspondent in Sydney amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East that is disrupting global oil and gas supplies, Jarrod Leak, Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Alliance for Energy Productivity (A2EP), noted that Southeast Asia and the broader Asia-Pacific region remain highly exposed to geopolitical risks due to their heavy reliance on fuel imports from the Middle East.

According to Leak, the risks are both real and increa...