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APEC praise China's support for forest management group

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-11-21 10:00

LIMA -- Foreign and trade ministers from the 21 APEC member economies expressed their appreciation on Thursday for China's financial support for a forest management group in the region.

"We welcomed the establishment of the Asia-Pacific Network for Sustainable Forest Management and Rehabilitation (APFNet) and appreciate China's ongoing financial support for this initiative," said a joint statement released after the two-day Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministerial Meeting in the Peruvian capital.

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The ministers said APEC member economies would make concerted efforts to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in the region and take appropriate measures to combat illegal logging.

"We recognized the value of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks for carbon sequestration in the global response to climate change," said the statement.

The APFNet is an open regional organization promoting and improving sustainable forest management and rehabilitation in the Asia-Pacific region. The establishment of the APFNet, proposed by China and co-sponsored by Australia and the United States, was agreed by the 15th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in September 2007 in Sydney, Australia, and was incorporated in the Sydney APEC Leaders' Declaration on Climate Change, Energy Security and Clean Development.

The 20th APEC Ministerial Meeting was held on Wednesday and Thursday to make final preparations for the APEC Leaders' Meeting this weekend.