Forestry Development, Preservation Must be in Line: President

Busan, South Korea (Antara) - President Joko Widodo said at an ASEAN-South Korea forestry ministerial level meeting here on Thursday that forestry development and preservation must go hand in hand. "The two must go in tandem. It is impossible for us to talk environment without touching upon its economic role. Neither can we talk economic development at the expense of forests," he stated. The meeting was also attended by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, who also gave a speech. President Joko Widodo noted that industrial forests can boost economic growth and improve the welfare of people living around them while the benefits that forests bring to people living around them will make them aware of the importance of preserving forests. Hence, he said, the Indonesian government will introduce a pilot project under which a rice field, a plantation of medicinal herbs, or an animal husbandry farm will be developed within an industrial forest. He pointed out that if the effort proves successful, more areas will be brought under the project to boost economic growth as well as forest preservation. President Joko Widodo stressed he was aware that tropical forests in Indonesia still played an important role in balancing the global environment.(*)