The Vice-Mayor of Vienna vowed Monday to strengthen co-operation
with Beijing on environmental protection in the lead-up to the 2008
Beijing Olympic Games.
Sepp Rieder made the remarks Monday after the Beijing
Environmental Protection Bureau signed a memorandum of
understanding with Vienna's Urban Planning Bureau.
Valid for the next five years, the memorandum focused on eight
fields, including air pollution treatment, prevention and cure of
water pollution, management of industrial solid waste, ecological
protection, control of pollution caused by vehicles and urban
environmental layout.
"The memorandum has laid a solid foundation for the future
co-operations on environmental protection to benefit both parties,"
said Rieder.
Rieder stressed that he attached great importance to the
opportunity of co-operation with Beijing as the preparation to the
2008 Games requires a tremendous investment.
Besides the memorandum on environmental protection, a memorandum of
understanding was also signed between the Beijing Tourism
Administration and the Vienna Economic Chamber on the question of
collaboration in the tourism and hospitality industry sectors, as
well as a trade and economic co-operation agreement.
At
two workshops on environmental protection, Angelo Rizzuti, a
manager in charge of trade finance activities with the Bank of
Austria, said that through their representative office in Beijing,
which was established 15 years ago, a constant and intensive
contact between all parties involved is guaranteed.
(China
Daily September 17, 2002)