State Secretary dr. Podgoršek visits China to discuss the future cooperation in forestry
Beijing 15.5. 2019 – State Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Food of the Republic of Slovenia visits stakeholders in forestry in China to discuss the future cooperation in forestry between Slovenia and China and in the framwork of the 17+1 intiative. Dr. Podgoršek has met with Mr. Peng Youdong, Deputy Administrator of State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Mr. Chu Fuxiang, Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Forestry, mr. Feng Jiaping, Standing Vice-President of China National Forestry Industry Federation and Mr. Zhao Shucong, Chairman of the APFNet Board of Directors of the Asia-Pacific Network for Sustainable Forest Management.
State Secretary dr. Podgoršek and Deputy Administrator Mr. Peng Youdong have commended the progress made in the framework of the Coordination Mechanism for Cooperation in Forestry between China and Central and Eastern Europe Countries or 17+1 cooperation in forestry. Dr. Podgoršek and Mr Peng have expressed the need to establish concrete forms of cooperation in between China and the CEE countries wood based industries and forestry and especially to strengthen the business cooperation nd increase investments into the sector, exchange of good practices from the sustainable and multifunctional management of forests and to implement joint research programs.
Deputy Deputy Administrator Peng has confirmed the plans to hold the next 17+1 forestry High level meeting of Ministers in China in 2020 with the working title “Importance of forests and forest-based industry in bio-economy” with business and scientific side-event to be confirmed latter in the year.
At his visit to the Chinese Academy of Forestry State Secretary dr. Podgoršek and Vice President Mr. Chu Fuxiang addressed the level of cooperation in forestry in the field of science and research. Dr. Podgoršek and Mr. Chu have expressed the need to increase the financing of the joint research activities in the framework of the 17+1 forestry cooperation and emphasized the importance of the student and professor exchange in forestry and wood processing.
Dr. Podgoršek and mr. mr. Feng Jiaping, Standing Vice-President of China National Forestry Industry Federation have discussed the possibilities to increase the cooperation between Chinese and Slovene business stakeholders in forestry and wood processing and the overall increase in investments in forestry in the framework of 17+1 forestry cooperation.
