A delegation from the Vietnamese Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Development led by Minister Cao Duc Phat on September 6 attended the 1st Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum’s Meeting of Ministers Responsible for Forestry, in Beijing , China .

The meeting, themed “Enhanced regional cooperation for green growth and sustainable forestry development”, was initiated at the 18 th APEC High Level Meeting in Japan last year.

Speaking at the meeting, Chinese President Hu Jintao said the event opened a new channel for strengthening cooperation between economies in the region, fostering exchange of economic development methods, dealing with climate change, promoting green growth and stepping up the pace of development in each country’s forestry sector.

He suggested that the regional economies should focus on the three major areas of enhancing forestry development, promoting the functions and effects of forests and strengthening cooperation in the region in the future.

The same day, Minister Phat and the delegation hosted a bilateral meeting with Director of State Forestry Administration of China Jia Zhibang on cooperation between China and Vietnam in forestry development./.