Asean ministers of environment agree to fight haze jointly

Pekanbaru, NU Online
Environment ministers of five ASEAN countries agreed to forge a joint effort to overcome the haze disaster which hit the region in the past few weeks as a result of forest and bush fires in Indonesia.

The agreement was reached in a meeting here on Friday by five ASEAN environment ministers, namely Rahmat Witoelar of Indonesia, YB Dato Seri Azmi Khalid of Malaysia, Yaacob Ibrahim of Singapore, Development Minister Pehin OKH Adi Abdullah Hun of Brunei Darussalam and Api Chahai Chavaja Rempun of Thailand.

Witoelar said that the ministers agreed to jointly overcome the haze problem as soon as possible.

"The haze could not be overcome quickly because Indonesia faced grave difficulties. Therefore, we agreed to cooperate. ASEAN countries appreciated the efforts made by Indonesia to overcome the haze," Minister Witoelar said.

He said that the meeting also agreed to provide operational funds to overcome forest and bush fires in Indonesia.

"The idea to provide funds for the fight against the haze was initiated by Malaysia," he said.

During the meeting, the ministers delivered various initiatives, and the meeting also took notes of Indonesia’s proposal on the need for international cooperation to strengthen ASEAN relations in overcoming the haze.

The minister said that the meeting also agreed to increase the number of various equipment that would be used to fight the haze. It also agreed to hold a workshop in Indonesia in November 2006, where international experts would be invited.

The Indonesian government in 2002 signed the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution. "The ratification of the agreement will be accorded with the laws in force in Indonesia," the minister said. (dar)