Russia, China agree on protection of trans-border water bodies
Russia has reached understandings with China, for first time in many years, on protection of trans-border water bodies, “experiencing negative influence from the Chinese side”, says a report by the Ministry of Natural Resources (MPR), which was received by Itar-Tass on Tuesday.
The report notes that the agreement will be signed on January 29 during a working trip by Russian Minister of Natural Resources Yuri Trutnev to China. The document is expected to be signed by Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi from the side of the Chinese government.
The document, encompassing key issues of environmental control and the use of trans-border waters, will help “to orchestrate efforts of the two countries in stabilising and improving consistently the ecology of trans-border water bodies”. Besides, the ministry noted, “implementation of the agreement’s provisions will minimize risks, connected with a possibility of emergency situations”.
The MPR noted that the agreement had been hammered out as a result of lengthy bilateral talks started in 1997. The ministry perked up considerably the negotiating process in 2005 when the sides signed a memorandum on mutual understanding between the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources and the Chinese State Administration for Environmental Control on cooperation in joint monitoring trans-border water bodies.
In mid-September 2006, Russia hosted the first meeting of the Russian-Chinese subcommission on cooperation in environmental control. The meeting decided to set up a working group on monitoring, prevention of pollution of trans-border water bodies and their protection.