–        … in Republic of Congo
PRESIDENT Bharrat Jagdeo is leading a team to the Republic of Congo for the Heads of States and Government Summit on the three Tropical Forests Basins of the World (Amazon, Congo, Borneo-Mekong). He is accompanied by Robert Persaud, Minister of Agriculture with responsibility for forests.
The summit began Monday and concludes today, in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, and is organized by the Republic of Congo and other international partners.
President Jagdeo and team’s visit is at the specific invitation of the Minister of Sustainable Development, Forest Economy and the Environment, of the Republic of Congo, Henri Djombo, who recently visited Guyana as part of the ongoing co-operation between the two forest-rich countries.
Some of the main objectives of the summit are to inform governments and international stakeholders about the actual forest resources conditions of these basins, and to conclude a cooperation treaty, consultation and exchange platform regarding matters linked to forest and global climate.
The summit will also adopt a common statement on tropical forest, climate change and sustainable development in the perspective of future negotiations and accord on climate at Durban, Republic of South Africa, and in preparation for Rio +20 summit in 2011, in Brazil.
The Government of Guyana and the Republic of Congo are also finalizing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) highlighting cooperation on sustainable utilization and forest conservation between the two nations; Minister Persaud will further discuss this MOU during this visit.
(GINA)