Indonesian Environment Minister Gusti Muhammad Hatta said Monday that Indonesia hopes to continue working closely with the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and other institutions on environmental issues.

"It is very crucial that we could share environmental issues to address problems related to them," said Gusti in his opening speech at the 11th Special Session of the UNEP Governing Council/ Global Ministerial Environment Forum and the Simultaneous Extraordinary Conference of the Parties (EXCOP) Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions held in Bali.

He also said that he hopes the event could stimulate debates and discussions toward solutions of the issues.

Gusti said that Indonesia has been actively hosting environmental events such as the 13th Conference of the Parties ( COP) of Climate Change in 2007 and the 9th Conference of the Parties (COP) of Basel Convention, among others.

Indonesia hopes that the current event could result in three agreements: the UNEP could provide aid to increase capacity related to the economics of ecosystems and biodiversity especially for local governments; discussion of intergovernment science- policy platform on biodiversity and ecosystem services, and discussion of environmental law that will agree on two drafts of guidance adjusted with national laws.