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)