Countries in Amazon region to sign conservation pact

Bogota: The Amazonian countries will sign a pact for the conservation of the Amazon region at the presidential summit to be held next Friday in the Colombian city of Leticia, officials said.

"From this presidential summit will be issued a declaration containing the Leticia Pact for the Amazon," Efe news quoted Colombian Foreign Minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo as saying on Wednesday.

According to him, the declaration "will contain concrete actions" to preserve the Amazon, and will include "an itinerary of activities" in which not only the Amazonian countries but other nations of the region and the international community will participate.

"The reason for this call is related to the importance of the Amazon, not only for the Amazon countries and for the region, but for the entire world," Trujillo said.

He said the summit's aim is to advance the coordination of actions for the conservation and preservation of the Amazon in which vast fires have been raging for weeks.

The meeting in Leticia will be attended by presidents Lenin Moreno of Ecuador, Martin Vizcarra of Peru and the host, Ivan Duque, the foreign minister added.

Bolivian President Evo Morales and Suriname Vice President Michael Ashwin Adhin have also confirmed their attendance, he said.

These five countries, along with Venezuela and Guyana, are part of the Amazon basin.

Trujillo also said that Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro will not attend the meeting as he has to undergo a surgery on Sunday, but he will participate via video conference and send a delegation headed by Foreign Minister Ernesto Araujo.

Colombian Environment Minister Ricardo Lozano said conservation and protection of natural resources is a priority of their government.