Vice Minister of Environment, Kwak Kyul Ho, is expected to engage in active discussion on wide range of environmental issues at the 2nd ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting) Environmental Ministers' Meeting, on October 11 to 13 in Lecce, Italy.

Environment Ministers or their representatives from 10 Asian and 15 European countries will attend the meeting to consolidate their ties of cooperation.

The agendas of the meeting includes follow-up to World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), and identifying shared views on Multilateral Environmental Agreements on desertification, biodiversity and on other environmental issues like Climate change. Future dialogue on environmental matters within ASEM member states will also be discussed.

At the meeting, the Vice Minister will call for active participation of the ASEM member states towards the The 8th Special Session of the Governing Council / The 5th Global Ministerial Environment Forum of UNEP, which will take place in Jeju Island, Korea, in March 2004.

During his visit to Europe, Vice Minister Kwak will also engage in meetings with Minister of Japan and of France to consolidate cooperation in the fields of environmental technology and business. Further, the Vice Minister will visit relevant Ministries of Austria in efforts to encourage exchange of technology trainees between the two countries.