Jakarta (ANTARA) - Minister of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Basuki Hadimuljono is exploring the potential for green and climate-smart infrastructure cooperation with Bangladesh.

Hadimuljono hopes to intensify the cooperation between Indonesia and Bangladesh that has existed for five decades.

"We feel that there are many similarities between Indonesia and Bangladesh, so opportunities for cooperation are very possible to be realized. We really appreciate collaboration and cooperation to strengthen our bilateral relations," Hadimuljono noted in a statement from the PUPR Ministry in Jakarta, Thursday.

The minister held several bilateral meetings, including with Minister of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change of Bangladesh, Saber Hossain Chowdhury, on the sidelines of his participation in the 3rd Dushanbe Water Action Decade Conference in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, Tuesday (June 11).

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During the meeting, Minister Hadimuljono also expressed gratitude for Bangladesh's participation in the 10th World Water Forum held in Bali on May 18-25, 2024.

Meanwhile, Minister Chowdhury expressed optimism about cooperating with Indonesia, especially in the areas of forest sector management, early warning of floods and natural disasters, as well as environmentally friendly materials.

"Apart from that, we also hope that there will be KPBU cooperation in mangrove management. We have the Sundarbans forest that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Through this collaboration, we hope to increase mangrove planting," Chowdhury remarked.

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