Indonesia environment ministry reviewing bilateral cooperation with Singapore

[JAKARTA]

Indonesia's Minister of the Environment and Forestry, Dr Siti Nurbaya, said her ministry is in the process of reviewing all bilateral cooperation, including both existing and planned future bilateral collaborations, with Singapore in the field of the environment and forestry.

"I'm leading this review process myself. This is a substantial step that needs to be taken. We have a set of clear and measured criteria in this review process," the minister told foresthints.news last Thursday after wrapping up a meeting with a number of local government officials in her office.

Dr Siti added that there would definitely be some existing bilateral collaborations with Singapore in the field of the environment and forestry that would have to be terminated.

Dr Siti's remarks came after Singapore's National Environment Agency (NEA) last Wednesday said it has obtained a court warrant against the director of an Indonesian company who failed to turn up for an interview with the authorities in Singapore despite being served a legal notice to do so when he was in the country. The director, whose name and company were not disclosed, had been served a notice to provide information on his company's move to mitigate fires on its land and prevent a repeat of last year's choking haze.