Korea-Timor-Leste High-Level Meeting Strengthens Forest Cooperation

KFS Minister and State Secretary of Forestry of Timor-Leste discuss cooperative partnerships in forest restoration, agroforestry, and forest fire response

Seoul, October 24, 2023 Minister NAM Sunghyun of the Korea Forest Service (KFS) and Mr. Fernandino Vieira da Costa, the State Secretary of Forestry, engaged in a high-level meeting to advance forest cooperation between the Republic of Korea and Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste in Seoul on October 24.

The two nations had previously signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for forestry cooperation in Seoul on April 27 of this year, marking the onset of ongoing consultations at a working level. This high-level meeting aimed to solidify collaborations, encompassing forest restoration and agroforestry.

Minister NAM emphasized, "The Republic of Korea boasts a proud history of simultaneous economic growth and national reforestation. The KFS remains steadfast in supporting Timor-Leste's initiatives to enhance the economic and environmental value of its forests, thus contributing to Timor-Leste's overall development."

Secretary Fernandino expressed his confidence in the partnership, stating, "Timor-Leste is currently undertaking an ambitious project to plant over one million trees annually. With the collaboration of the KFS, I am confident that Timor-Leste will effectively restore, conserve, and sustainably manage our forests."

Following the meeting, Timor-Leste's delegation visited the Forest Disaster Forecast Center at the National Institute of Forest Science. During the visit, they had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with Korea's forest fire prevention, prediction, and response system while exploring potential avenues for collaboration in the realm of forest disaster management.