JAKARTA (Bernama-Antara): The Indonesian government is committed to expediting the establishment of the Asean Coordinating Centre for Transboundary Haze Pollution Control, Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurrofiq has said, reported Antara news agency.
He made the statement in Jakarta on Monday after holding a coordination meeting on the results of the 19th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP-19) to the Asean Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution (AATHP), held in Bangkok, Thailand, on December 18, 2024.
Nurrofiq said that the operationalisation of the regional coordinating centre is pending the signing of an agreement on the centre's establishment by Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines.
"In today's (Monday's) meeting, we have asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to pursue the signing of the establishment agreement by the three countries through the Asean Secretariat in Jakarta," he informed.
The minister explained that the Asean Coordinating Centre for Transboundary Haze Pollution Control is expected to help Indonesia and fellow Asean member states to cooperate in identifying viable, on-point measures against transboundary haze pollution in South-East Asia.
"The centre will also help us obtain the requisite funds by diplomatically approaching countries from other continents," he added.
He further said that in 2025, the Ministry of Environment will coordinate with the Asean Secretariat, Foreign Affairs Ministry, and other relevant ministries and agencies to initiate the establishment of a committee that will manage the coordinating centre.
Nurrofiq also highlighted that at the COP-19 AATHP meeting, Asean countries voiced their support and praise for Indonesia's preparedness in dealing with issues related to transboundary haze pollution in the region.
The 20th iteration of the regional meeting is scheduled to take place in Langkawi, Malaysia, next year. - Bernama-Antara
