CATANIA - Environment and Forestry Minister Osman Pepe said on Thursday that instead of taking up problems regarding the protection of Mediterranean on international platforms with an intellectual understanding, every country should undertake its responsibility on this issue.
Pepe who is currently in Catania, Italy to attend the 13th Conference of the Parties to the Barcelona Convention for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea and of its Coastal region told A.A correspondent that they discussed the future of Mediterranean. He said, ''I saw that other participants are also sharing our concerns on our seas and environment. The prior target of the meeting is not only the protection of sea. It is discussed how the protection of the sea and environment can be possible within economic activities of sustainable development.''
Recalling the last sea accidents in Turkey, Pepe said that when Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline would function, the Straits would be more comfortable. He added that Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline was also an important project for the prevention of possible environment disasters.
Pepe also met with Tunisian Agriculture, Environment and Water Resources Minister Habib Haddad during the meeting.
Pepe told A.A correspondent after the meeting that they had discussed what they could do regarding the issues of environment and forestry and how they could provide joint study conditions. He added that they decided to establish committees for joint studies on environment and forestry policies within bilateral cooperation agreement between Turkey and Tunisia.
(GC-UK) 13.11.2003