ASEAN ENVIRONMENT MINISTERS SET UP WORKING GROUP ON CLIMATE CHANGE

PUTRAJAYA, Oct 30 (Bernama) -- Asean environment ministers have established a working group to promote closer and deeper regional cooperation on climate change.

The group, set up at the 11th Asean Ministerial Meeting on the Environment
held in Singapore Thursday, would also respond effectively to global efforts in
addressing climate change issues, said a statement issued by the Natural
Resources and Environment Ministry here.

The statement also said that the ministers discussed the efforts taken on
addressing land and forest fires and the transboundary haze pollution issue in
light of the moderate intensity El Nino event by the end of this year.

It said the ministers adopted a mechanism to ensure coordinated efforts
among member countries to control tanker desludging activities at sea and to
promote proper disposal of tanker sludge at approved disposal facilities.

The ministers are scheduled to meet with their counterparts from China,
Japan and South Korea at the 8th Asean Plus Three Environment Ministers Meeting
tomorrow to discuss regional and global environmental issues.

They will meet again in 2010 at the 12th Informal Asean Ministerial Meeting
on the Environment in Brunei.

-- BERNAMA