(ANSA) - TRIESTE, 21 MAR - Aiming to strengthen collaboration on environmental protection, an agreement was signed today in Trieste between the Slovenian Environment Agency and the Regional Environmental Protection Agency of Friuli Venezia Giulia (Arpa FVG). The agreement was signed at the Regional Government building by the directors of the two agencies, Josko Knez for Arso and Anna Lutman for Arpa, in the presence of Friuli Venezia Giulia's Regional Environmental Councillor, Fabio Scoccimarro, and Slovenian Minister of the Environment, Bojan Kumer. The partnership will cover several areas, including water, air, and soil quality monitoring, laboratory analysis activities, and opportunities for meetings and discussions, including data exchange and shared archives. "The agreement," Scoccimarro explained, "will also allow for more direct interaction between Arpa and Arso. While cooperation already exists, this initiative will streamline processes, particularly in communication. Additionally, it is crucial for our regions, especially in shared environments like the Karst. It will also facilitate knowledge exchange between researchers and experts." Kumer emphasized that "our cooperation is already at a very high level. Signing today's agreement will certainly lead to positive results and is the outcome of strong and effective collaboration in addressing our region'senvironmental challenges. Cross-border cooperation is essential because environmental protection knows no borders." (ANSA).