Five ASEAN countries to discuss transboundary haze in Singapore

Smog covers Bangkok, Thailand (Photo: AFP)

Kuala Lumpur (VNA) – Representatives of five ASEAN member states - Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand - plan to gather in Singapore from June 7-8 to discuss transboundary haze.

It will be the 24th meeting since the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution was signed in 2002.

Malaysian Minister of Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said Malaysia looks forward to discussing issues on the hot weather, the possibility of haze incidents, and response strategies.

He added that ASEAN will develop a revised roadmap for transboundary haze cooperation to improve the existing guidelines.

Dangerous levels of smog due to open burning have covered parts of northern Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos since the beginning of this year.

The Malaysian Government will be holding a national committee on haze and dry weather meeting on May 26 to keep abreast of developments./.