Paris/Beirut - 24 March 2004

Al-Bia Wal-Tanmia (Environment & Development) magazine signed a cooperation agreement with the Paris-based Radio Monte Carlo for joint environmental programming and reporting at the regional level. Published in Beirut, Al-Bia Wal-Tanmia is the leading pan-Arab environment magazine, distributed in 22 countries. Since it was launched in 1996, the magazine has established a network of regional environmental media partnerships, comprising 9 leading daily newspapers and Future Television. The group scored numerous world scoops for its joint coverage of the Earth Summit in Johannesburg, where many of its stories and commentaries were quoted by the international media.

The agreement with the Arabic-language service of Radio Monte Carlo, one of the most popular in the Middle East, includes cooperation in the production of a weekly environment programme under the name Baytouna Al-Alam (The World Is Our House), which is broadcast Sundays at 16:32 GMT and Mondays at 10:02 GMT. The audio contents of the programme will be available on the internet sites of the two organizations for the whole week (www.rmc-mo.com and www.mectat.com.lb).

Christophe Carbonnier, Director General of Radio Monte Carlo Moyen-Orient (RMC-MO) said that the agreement reflects RMC's diversification policy, designed to offer listeners across the region a balanced mix of news, culture and entertainment, adding that "environment is a topic of special concern in our modern world, and we are determined to bring the most up-to-date issues on sustainable development to the attention of our audiences."

Najib Saab, Publisher of Al-Bia Wal-Tanmia, said he was confident that the new partnership with RMC will help bring environmental concerns to the Arab public-at-large, through one of the most dynamic and popular regional radio stations in the area.