Turkey willing to back Moldova in afforestation process

Chisinau, 4 November /MOLDPRES/ - The conservation and sustainable management of the ecosystems of steppe, extension of the forests’ area and the bilateral cooperation are the main goals established by the Environment Ministry of Moldova and the Agriculture and Forestry Ministry of Turkey. The subjects on cooperation were considered at a 3 November meeting with a delegation from Ankara, led by the competent deputy minister, Fatih Metin, on a visit to Moldova till the end of this week.     

The topics analyzed at the meeting were focused on the problems of steppes and soils from the steppe area, the zone’s biodiversity, problems of adaptation to the climate changes in these areas, the need to increase the budget and attract investments from the private sector and from abroad, reducing the risks and the negative impact of the climate on agriculture, increasing the areas of the forestry plantations, implementation of new irrigation technologies, etc.   

At the meeting, Fatih Metin referred to the progress of the projects carried out at the bilateral level. He noted that the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) had a major experience internationally and there were quite many projects with big potential to be implemented jointly and a lot of homework.

As for the climate changes, Fatih Metin highlighted an urgent solution which must be enforced – planting forest areas, according to the successful model of Turkey, which in the last 15 years has increased the country’s forest fund, covering more than a quarter of the state’s area. Thus, Fatih Metin expressed willingness to support Moldova’s authorities in implementing this environment project.

"For 11 November, Turkey established the National Tree Planting Day. We are ready to share our experience of increasing the forest plantations and therefore, we invite you to participate in this campaign along with us,’’ the Turkish official said.    

For her part, a state secretary at the Environment Ministry, Iordanca-Rodica Iordanov, in the context of the bilateral cooperation, touched upon the importance of establishing sustainable partnerships, in order to take over the experience, technologies and ways of improving the sector of environmental protection and the need to extend the forest plantations.     

In Moldova, the annual campaign of creating green areas, A Tree for Our Survival, this year will be held on 13 November, with taking over the best practices of afforestation, including from Turkey’s example.