1. The tenth meeting of the Republic of Korea-Russia Joint Committee on Environmental Cooperation will take place in Seoul from February 4 to 5, with Director-General for Climate Change and Environmental Affairs Lee Seong-ho of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Director for International Cooperation Inamov Nuritdin of the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment leading their respective delegations.

o On February 3, the second meeting of the ROK-Russia subcommittee on the conservation of endangered wildlife species will be held in connection with the tenth Joint Committee meeting. In the second meeting of the subcommittee, the two sides will discuss ways to enhance cooperation in the field of ecosystem between the two countries.

2. In the upcoming tenth meeting, the two countries will introduce their environmental policies and explore ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation in a range of areas, including ecosystem, environmental industry, air pollution and marine environment. They will also exchange views on ways to increase regional and global environmental cooperation.

o The two sides will review the progress in implementing a total of 11 cooperation projects, currently underway, as well as future plans for the projects. The two sides will also discuss new cooperation projects on the protection of marine life and joint research into birds.

o In addition, they will exchange views on ways to strengthen environmental cooperation in Northeast Asia, including the North-East Asian Sub-Regional Programme for Environmental Cooperation (NEASPEC), as well as global cooperation on environmental affairs, including climate change.

3. The meetings of the ROK-Russia Joint Committee on Environmental Cooperation have been held alternately in the two countries in accordance with the ROK-Russia agreement on environmental cooperation, concluded in 1994. The Joint Committee has helped promote substantive environmental cooperation between the two countries by serving as a forum for the two countries to introduce their environmental policies, share information on environmental issues, and pursue cooperation projects.


* unofficial translation