Indonesia and Papua New Guinea agreed Thursday to strengthen bilateral cooperation in pushing ocean agendas to be acknowledged by all parties engaged in climate change talks under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Michael Somare met on the sidelines of the World Ocean Conference (WOC) in Manado.

"The two leaders agree on better cooperation to get the crucial role of oceans recognized under the UNFCCC as part of the solution in battling climate change," said presidential spokesman Dino Patti Djalal.

He said Yudhoyono and Somare had noted that global climate change talks had not given enough attention to coastal and ocean issues, despite the need for a comprehensive solution to mitigate and adapt to the changing climate.

"The two leaders will fight for this at the United Nations," Dino said.

Somare, he added, had also expressed his appreciation of the success of the WOC and the Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI), which is expected to peak with the adoption of commitments on government policies and sub-regional programs.

"The CTI declaration will be signed tomorrow. The PNG government fully supports this process, as coral reef protection is very important to the country, especially to the prosperity of its people," Dino said.

Yudhoyono also praised PNG's support in the forest nation group and its efforts to lobby the UN to include forests as a means of countering global greenhouse gas emissions.

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