International Conference on China-CEECs Forestry Research and Education Cooperation was Closed in Success
Author:     Time: 2017-11-02

Mr. Xiao Wenfa (left) hosted and addressed the closing ceremony. Ms. Dai Guangcui (middle) and Mr. Miha Humar (right) delivered speeches

Closing speeches for the five themes

Conference

The International Conference on China-CEECs Forestry Research and Education Cooperation, hosted by China State Forestry Administration and CAF, was closed in success in the afternoon of 31 Oct., after two days of heated and effective discussions. Ms. Dai Guangcui, Deputy Director General of the Department of International Cooperation, SFA, and Prof. Miha Humar, Dean of Biotechnical Faculty of the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, addressed the closing ceremony. Mr. Xiao Wenfa, Vice President of CAF, hosted the ceremony, and delivered a closing speech.

Central and eastern European countries boast forest resources and forest management knowledge. They have a long history in forest resources utilization and various forest cultures. Both China and CEECs attach importance to forestry development, and share common interests and goals in strengthening forest management, multi-function utilization, forest research and education, and industrial development and trade cooperation. With these common grounds, the 17 countries gathered to discuss and contribute to China-CEECs forest cooperation.

During the two days, experts and scholars were engaged in in-depth exchanges and discussions in silviculture, forest ecology, environment and protection, forest monitoring and assessment, forest bio-economy, and forestry education and training. Representatives from enterprises discussed on promoting industrial and trade collaboration. Through these heated exchanges and discussions, experience in forestry development was shared, research areas and difficulties faced understood, suggestions in cooperation proposed, and cooperation prospects showcased, which linked experts with research teams. All the information and channels shown from the Conference will serve as a basis and bridge for China and CEECs in forestry cooperation. They will contribute to increasing forest resources, improving quality and functions of forest ecosystems, eco-environment, and human welfare, the implementation of the Paris Agreement to address climate change, and achieving the SDGs.

In order to better advance China-CEECs forestry cooperation, Ms. Dai Guangcui proposed that all countries should make good use of the 16+1 cooperation mechanism for further coordination and collaboration. Coordinators and the coordinating mechanism should be given into full play to promote information exchanges, coordinating activities, and pragmatic cooperation. The two sides should work jointly to maintain and improve the website of China and CEEC Forestry, to enhance information sharing. They should actively look up the Chinese and English versions of the website, to timely update and make good use of the information. In addition, economic and trade cooperation should also be advanced on the basis of enhancing cooperation on forestry research and education. China and CEECs should take the Belt and Road Initiative as an opportunity, and the China-Europe Express Railway as transportation channels.

At the conference, hosts of the five themes reported their discussions and made a conclusion, laying a solid foundation for future collaboration.

The following consensus was reached:

First, there is potential to be tapped in silviculture, forest ecology, environment and protection, forest monitoring and assessment, forest bio-economy, and forestry education and training. This Conference could be used as a starting point to build the network for research exchanges, so as to jointly apply for and carry out international research programs, conduct personnel exchanges and information sharing, hosting academic activities, publishing academic papers, and building laboratories. This can concretely advance the pragmatic and efficient cooperation in forestry research among the 16+1 countries for win-win results.

Second, there is great potential in cooperation on forestry education and training between China and CEECs. 16+1 cooperation on forestry talents exchanges and capacity building can build on the cooperation on research. Through exchanges in experts, scholars and graduate students, hosting high-level cooperation, and academic seminars, talents exchanges could be advanced to lay a solid foundation for 16+1 cooperation on forestry research.

Third, based on results from this Conference, the 16+1 forestry research and education alliance should be explored, with forestry research and education institutes in the 17 countries as the main body. The alliance aims at cooperation for win-win progress, and works to promote sustainable forest management, ecological progress and green growth.

The above three consensus are also directions for future cooperation.

Prof. Miha Humar recognized and appreciated this Conference. He said that the discussions pooled wisdom from forestry and other related areas, and aimed at seeking common grounds and producing synergies, which led to fruitful results. China is at a critical stage of modernization. China needs to understand the world, and vice versa. Prof. Miha Humar sincerely expected that both sides could enhance policy coordination, and strengthen people-to-people exchanges, with the Belt and Road Initiave as the bond, and the 16+1 cooperation as the platform, in order to work together to explore the path of modernization featured by the harmonious co-existence between man and nature. (Wang Jianlan, Office, Chen Yujie and Wang Chen, Division of International Cooperation, CAF)

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