An international meeting attended by delegations from 13 countries discussing the extinction of tiger and efforts to prevent it is now underway in Nusa Dua Bali, Indonesia.

The meeting sponsored by the World Bank's Global Tiger Initiatives program is attended by delegations among others from Bangladesh, China, Cambodia, Bhutan, Indonesia, India, Laos, Myanmar, Russia, Thailand and Vietnam.

Speaking in his remarks to open the meeting that will conclude in July 14, Kezhab Varma, the program chairman said that the number of tiger population in the world now stands at 3,200 in six sub-species that comprised of Sumatran, Bengali, Amur, Indo China, Southern China and Malayan tigers.

"It would take political will from the governments whose territories are inhabited by tigers to respond to this animal's extinction issue," Kezhab said.

In relation to overcome the tiger extinction issue, governments must disseminate programs, or knowledge to the public about the importance to provide proper habitat for tigers to breed and to live, according to Kezhab.

"It has to be conducted along with efforts to tackle tiger poaching, illegal trading on tiger parts," Kezhab said.

He pointed out that the perish of Balinese tiger must be regarded as a lesson for the governments to pay more attention on the tiger extinction issue.

Kezhab added that the results of the meeting will be brought to a high-profile summit to be attended by leaders of states in St. Petersburg, Russia from September 15 to 18 this year.