REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, BOGOR -- The governments of Indonesia and Timor Leste have agreed to strengthen cooperation in the forestry sector, Indonesia's Minister of Environment and Forests, Siti Nurbaya Bakar, said in a press release on Monday.

An agreement in this regard was reached at during the visit of the Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs and Minister of Agriculture and Fishery of Timor Leste, Estanislau Aleixo da Silva, to Bogor, West Java province.

Minister Bakar said under the agreement that Timorese students will study forestry at the Vocational High School of Forestry in Bogor.

"It is time for Indonesia to assist other countries, and not just be a beneficiary," she said.

Bakar added that in addition to building human resource capacity, the cooperation between Indonesia and Timor Leste had also been established for watershed management.

Both countries had taken the initiative to set up a watershed across the country under the management plan. Currently, there are 10 watersheds across the country between Indonesia and Timor Leste.

The watershed management planning will be started with the collection of data and information on the Talua, Ekat, and Babulu watersheds.

"In addition to watershed management, we have agreed to conduct joint patrols to anticipate illegal logging, as well as plant and wildlife illegal trading," Bakar said.

Minister da Silva's visit to Indonesia was a return visit after Minister Bakar had visited Dili at the end of July and handed over 50 thousand seedlings of commercial wood and fruits.

Da Silva plans to hold another meeting with Bakar.

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