Environment ministers of Korea, Japan and China have agreed to boost cooperation among the three countries to prevent further environmental pollution in Far East Asia. "We shared the view that the three-way cooperation in the field of environment is extremely important and indispensable, because dynamic economic development has been deteriorating the regional environment," said South Korea environment minister Choi Jaewook. He held talks with his counter parts Manabe Kenji of Japan and Xie Zhenhua of China. They adopted an eight-point agreement to tackle the region's environmental issues.

The first cooperative programme will consist of setting up of a standing communications channel between the environment ministries of the three countries, so they can effectively exchange information. If necessary, a working group of environmental officials from the three nations will be established to facilitate the cooperation, Choi added. The ministers agreed to give top priority in areas such as air and sea pollution, and research on environmental technologies. The ministers of Korea and China also agreed to take active part in a Japan-initiated network designed to measure acid rain in the region.