Norway, RI sign agreement

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian and Norwegian governments signed an agreement on Thursday to cooperate in environmental projects worth 20 million Norwegian krones (US$2.2 million).

The agreement was signed in Jakarta by State Minister of the Environment Sonny Keraf and visiting Norway's Minister of International Development Anne Kristin Sydnes.

Sydnes said that the four-year cooperation agreement focused on biodiversity, climatic change and cleaner production.

The Norwegian embassy in Jakarta said in a statement that Indonesia and Norway signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on bilateral environmental cooperation in 1990.

The MOU was followed up with three working programs consisting of specific projects and the Thursday agreement marked the start of the fourth working program.

Sydnes is on a one-week visit to Indonesia and East Timor. (jsk)