Environment 'not a priority for many developing nations'
JAPAN is committed to helping developing countries fight their environmental problems, but many of these countries do not place a high priority on the environment, said Japan’s Minister of State and Director-General of the Japan Environment Agency.
Mr. Kazuo Aichi, who arrived on Saturday for a two day visit at the invitation of Environment Minister Dr Ahmad Mattar, said yesterday that it was important to convince these countries that the environment complemented economic growth, and must be protected.
Singapore, he said at a press conference at the Pan Pacific Hotel, did not have any environmental problems.
But in countries like Indonesia, which he visited recently, rivers were polluted and there was bad air pollution from the traffic.
Mr. Aichi, who left for home last night, held talks with Dr Mattar and senior officials from the Environment Ministry yesterday.
A joint press statement said both ministers agreed that the two countries will continue to hold environment-related activities.
During the meeting, Dr Mattar also noted that co-operation between the two countries had extended to the private sector.
In February this year, the ministry signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Japan’s Mitsubishi Corporation to market its expertise in the design and commissioning of environment projects like incineration plants outside Singapore.
The two ministers also discussed the preparations for next year’s United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, which will be held in Brazil.
Mr Aichi also invited Dr Mattar to lead a Singapore delegation to the forthcoming Environment Congress for Asia and the Pacific, to be held in Tokyo in July.
Source : The Straits Times, May 6, 1991
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