1. Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Lee Tae-ho attended a welcome dinner held on the occasion of the inaugural meeting of the Asian Forest Cooperation Organization (AFoCO) on November 12.

o The Republic of Korea proposed the establishment of AFoCO at the ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit in 2009. The organization aims to build the capacity of Asian countries vulnerable to climate change and forest degradation to respond to them through forest cooperation.

o AFoCO was officially launched at its inaugural meeting, which takes place in Seoul from November 12 till 13. Its first secretary-general will be appointed at the meeting on November 13.

2. In his congratulatory remarks, Vice Minister Lee stressed the need for AFoCO to contribute to promoting sustainable development and improving the quality of life of the people in the region through capacity-building in the forestry sector, as well as to play an important role, as a major means to implement the ROK government’s New Southern Policy.

o Vice Minister Lee also voiced hope that AFoCO would expand the scope of cooperation to the entire Asian region, going beyond the ROK-ASEAN mechanism, and said that the Foreign Ministry would actively work together with the organization.

* unofficial translation