LAOS - The 17th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Environment (AMME 17) and related meetings have agreed to prioritise the strengthening of regional cooperation in climate change response, biodiversity conservation, plastic waste pollution, and sustainable urban development, reported Vietnam News Agency (VNA).

The two-day series of events ended in Laos on 24th August, with a consensus reached regarding the principles of the bloc’s joint statement to the upcoming 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28), which will be held in the UAE in November.

The meetings welcomed the signing of an agreement to establish the ASEAN Climate Change Centre to be headquartered in Brunei, aiming to create favourable conditions for regional cooperation serving initiatives among member states, national governments, and relevant regional and international organisations.