US urged to help Heart of Borneo project
Saturday, September 8, 2007
HIS Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam yesterday reiterated the country's commitment to protect its environment and promote forest sustainability, in a luncheon hosted by United States President George W Bush for Asean leaders attending the Apec summit in Sydney, Australia.
In his titah during the luncheon, His Majesty said that in terms of climate change, Brunei is doing its part by designating 58 per cent of its forested land mass as areas of conservation under an island-wide forest conservation measure known as the Heart of Borneo.
The ruler invited the US to participate in the conservation effort through information and technology exchange.
His Majesty also thanked the US president for the latter's invitation to the event, and expressed appreciation with the way the US has worked to enhance peace and security in the Asia-Pacific region.
The titah also conveyed the monarch's satisfaction with the good relations that exist between the two countries, and that cooperation in other areas such as education, training and intellectual property rights has been further strengthened under the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement.
His Majesty also thanked President Bush for the latter's invitation for His Majesty and other Asean leaders to Texas, US.
"I'm looking forward to hosting you down there," said Bush.
"I'm looking forward to continuing our constructive conversation on whether it be democracy, or fighting terror, or expanding trade, or avian flu, or climate change."
Bush also announced at the luncheon that the US will introduce an ambassador to Asean, its fourth largest trading partner, "so that we can make sure that the ties we've established over the past years remain firmly entrenched".
Some of the issues discussed among the leaders during the luncheon included regional and international issues such as the North Korean nuclear crisis, the Middle East, Iraq and Iran as well as Asean-US cooperation.
The Asean leaders expressed their collective hope for the peaceful outcome to these problems.
Of the 10 Asean members, seven are also members of Apec. They are Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
The Brunei Times
In his titah during the luncheon, His Majesty said that in terms of climate change, Brunei is doing its part by designating 58 per cent of its forested land mass as areas of conservation under an island-wide forest conservation measure known as the Heart of Borneo.
The ruler invited the US to participate in the conservation effort through information and technology exchange.
His Majesty also thanked the US president for the latter's invitation to the event, and expressed appreciation with the way the US has worked to enhance peace and security in the Asia-Pacific region.
The titah also conveyed the monarch's satisfaction with the good relations that exist between the two countries, and that cooperation in other areas such as education, training and intellectual property rights has been further strengthened under the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement.
His Majesty also thanked President Bush for the latter's invitation for His Majesty and other Asean leaders to Texas, US.
"I'm looking forward to hosting you down there," said Bush.
"I'm looking forward to continuing our constructive conversation on whether it be democracy, or fighting terror, or expanding trade, or avian flu, or climate change."
Bush also announced at the luncheon that the US will introduce an ambassador to Asean, its fourth largest trading partner, "so that we can make sure that the ties we've established over the past years remain firmly entrenched".
Some of the issues discussed among the leaders during the luncheon included regional and international issues such as the North Korean nuclear crisis, the Middle East, Iraq and Iran as well as Asean-US cooperation.
The Asean leaders expressed their collective hope for the peaceful outcome to these problems.
Of the 10 Asean members, seven are also members of Apec. They are Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
The Brunei Times
Business Besides Oil
