Rio De Janeiro — The French oil company TOTAL announced the construction in Angola of a Tropical Ecological Centre soon, as part of existing partnership with the Angolan Environment Ministry, Angop learned.

The announcement was made on Monday by TOTAL chairman, Christophe de Marjorie, during a "Sustainability Forum" held in Rio de Janeiro, jointly sponsored by the French oil firm and the Great Environmental Impact Networks of France and Brazil.

Angola was a special guest at the meeting held on the fringes of the United Nations Sustainable Development Conference, Rio+20.

According to Marjorie, the centre will help reinforce partnership between TOTAL and Angolan Environment Ministry in the drafting of studies on the country's fauna and flora, seeking to improve sustainability and biodiversity.

The official also said the project is part of a memorandum signed between the two institutions, under which TOTAL agrees to help implement the UN Framework Convention on Climate Changes in Angola.

He recalled that under its social responsibility policy, TOTAL has been helping the Angolan Government with the effort to eradicate poverty in the coming ten years and progressively improve Angolans' living.