ATHENS - European Union (EU) member and candidate countries' and European Parliament's environment commission chairmen's meeting started in Greek capital Athens on Friday.
Justice and Development Party (AK Party) deputy Munir Erkal, who also serves as the chairman of the Parliamentary Commission for Environment, represents Turkey in the meeting.
Erkal told the A.A correspondent that the government was aware that environment problems in Turkey should be solved, stating that, ''development and environment should be taken up together. They don't contradict with each other.''
Erkal said, ''if environment, sustainable development, sustainable development vision, project and plan are to be revealed, everybody who wants to participate in and NGO's should take place within this system.''
Erkal said another very important development in the world was strengthening of local administrations, adding that, ''the whole world has an understanding that sustainability concept can only be implemented with strengthening of local administration, understanding of administration, finance.''
(AY-MS) 30.05.2003