COUNTRIES that are home to the world's three major rainforests agreed to cooperate to overcome deforestation and safeguard biodiversity but fell short of a concrete alliance to protect the vital carbon sinks. The announcement came on the final day of the Congo Republic-hosted Three Basins summit, which brought together presidents, NGOs, technical experts, and finance sector officials to strengthen governance and preservation of the Amazon, the Congo basin, and forests in Southeast Asia. The countries recognised the importance of cooperation and agreed to develop ways to protect the forests in a seven-point plan. "We've realised that joining forces is an…