03/05/2008 (Bernama), Miri - A dialogue with European Union (EU) members of parliament and the World Sustainability Conference in London both slated for September this year will be the earliest grounds to test the collaboration between Malaysia and Indonesia to counter anti-palm oil propaganda in Europe.

Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Peter Chin Fah Kui Saturday said the events would be the first for both countries to stand on the same platform and respond to any accusation raised by the EU parliament members and during the conference on their palm oil industries.

Speaking at a news conference here, he said the agreement to have a common stand on the matter was reached during a third joint committee meeting on bilateral cooperation on commodities between the Malaysian and Indonesian governments in Kuta, Bali on April 25.

The issue on promoting palm oil usage among the European countries had taken up the larger portion of the meeting where Chin led the Malaysian delegation while the Indonesian team was led by their Agriculture Minister Dr. Anton Apriyantono.

Chin said the meeting had been significant with the details of framework for actions had been discussed to consolidate their positions as the world's largest oil palm producers and their influences in the world market.

Currently Malaysia and Indonesia are producing 85 percent of the world palm oil supplies that translate to about 33 million tonnes annually.

Chin said he expected the EU parliament members and participants at the conference, which will also have international non-governmental organisations (NGOs), to accuse oil palm plantations in Malaysia and Indonesia to have caused carbon emission and forest destruction.

The west would be also informed of the success of Malaysia in preserving nearly 50 percent of the country with virgin forests as compared to just about 19 percent in certain European countries.

Malaysia and Indonesia would also explain how palm oil is a perennial crop that could be planted once but yet be able to produce fruits continuously for at least 25 years, against the competing crops such as soya bean, redseed or sunflower that have to be planted annually, causing more destruction to the environment.