MANILA, Sept. 23(Xinhuanet)-- Southeast Asian foreign ministers have agreed to consider tapping indigenous energy sources as oil-producing states made no guarantee that the oil prices will go down in the coming months, according to reports from New York reaching here on Friday.

Philippine foreign affairs secretary Alberto Romulo, who presided over the Association of Southeast Asian Nations-Gulf Cooperation Council(ASEAN-GCC) meeting in New York, said the ASEAN must find"ways and means" to cope with the volatile and sky-high increase of oil prices, which could adversely affect the region's economy.

Among the measures being considered by ASEAN members are alternative sources of energy such as natural gas and geothermal energy, the more available in the ASEAN territories.

In the meantime, the ASEAN foreign ministers agreed to forge a continuing dialogue between the GCC, which includes Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain as members, and the ASEAN to address the energy crisis. Enditem