Interview: Ethiopia sees much potential for environmental cooperation with China: official

ADDIS ABABA, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopia and China have the potential to strengthen environmental cooperation and realize eco-friendly development, a senior Ethiopian government official has said.

Speaking to Xinhua recently, Getahun Garedew, Director-General of Ethiopian Environmental Protection Authority, said the East African country is keen on boosting cooperation with China to expedite its environmental protection endeavors.

Garedew said environmental relations already include technology transfers, experience sharing and the promotion of climate-friendly investments.

"There is a lot to work together. I would start from the technology -- we need smart forests in our nation," Garedew told Xinhua, emphasizing China's efforts to transform its forestry activities with the help of modern technologies.

"In our country, we have a lot of reserved areas and national parks, which are susceptible to forest fires. So, we need technologies that can let us control from a single station all over the country that the Chinese use to work," he said.

He further underscored China's experience rehabilitating the environment through technology-oriented recycling endeavors as a potential partnership area.

"Chinese companies can come here and help in plastic recycling, electronic recycling, e-waste management and chemical disposal. These are the areas that we can work together towards managing the waste and pollution," Garedew said.

Meanwhile, he commended Chinese companies operating in Ethiopia for their emphasis on protecting the environment.

"I really like to appreciate their commitment to rehabilitate the environment and to work on the standards they have set," he said.

Garedew stressed that the East African country is highly committed to environmental protection, which is aligned with the country's socio-economic development aspirations.