Officials from China and the World Conservation Union (IUCN) on
Tuesday signed in Bangkok, Thailand, ?a memorandum of
understanding (MOU) to improve cooperation on China's
forestry-related conservation work.
Under the document, described by both sides as a solid progress
in long-term cooperation, the world largest conservation
organization IUCN and China's State Forestry Administration (SFA)
would meet within 90 days to specify activities to be carried out
during the first year of the partnership.
Annual consultative meeting on forestry issues will be
established so as to conduct bilateral informal and technical
consultation, said the MOU.
The newly-inked material also set down guidelines for the
principles, areas and ways of bilateral cooperation to improve
China's forestry conservation.
"The signing of the MOU is a positive step in the right
direction for the two sides' cooperation on related subjects," IUCN
Asia Constituency Project Director Zakir Hussain said at the
signing ceremony.
IUCN and China started cooperation some 20 years ago, focusing
on forestry conservation activities, SFA's program officials told
Xinhua.
With the Chinese government paying more attention to
conservation issues, SFA has witnessed a boom of cooperation with
international agencies and organizations in recent years, they
added.
(Xinhua News Agency February 11, 2004)