Indonesia wants incentives to halt deforestation

Indonesia wants to gain bargaining power for direct assistance by teaming up with Brazil, Cameroon, Congo, Costa Rica, Gabon, Malaysia and Papua New Guinea, which together account for the lion's share of the world's tropical rainforests.

"What the 'F8' (Forest Eight) hopes and wishes for is an incentive from developed countries, an appreciation of each one's efforts to avoid deforestation," Malam Sembat Kaban told Reuters during a visit to Beijing on Wednesday.

"For instance, Indonesia has the potential to sell 14 million cubic meters of logs based on sustainable principles.

Indonesia's policy is to exploit only 9 million cubic meters of logs" from natural forests, through selective cutting, Kaban said, speaking through an interpreter.

"Who pays? We are saving the forest but taking an economic loss ... The demand is there, so there is no reason not to cut."