KINSHASA, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) will host the first trilateral summit on the preservation of the world's tropical forests with Brazil and Indonesia on Aug. 25 in Kinshasa, the capital of the DRC, according to a press release Wednesday by the Congolese presidency.
The summit in Kinshasa will bring together DRC President Felix Tshisekedi, President of Brazil Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and Indonesian President Joko Widodo, representing the Congo Basin, the Amazon rainforest, and the Borneo-Mekong Basin, respectively.
The summit will put the spotlight on the Congo Basin, more than 60 percent of which covers the national territory of the DRC. Known as the "lungs of Africa," the Congo Basin is the largest carbon sink in the world, absorbing more carbon than the Amazon. Spanning six countries, its rainforest provides food security and an essential lifeline for indigenous and local populations and serves as a critical habitat for endangered species. ■