CIS to expand cooperation with FAO

17:03, 25 September 2014

MINSK. KAZINFORM - The CIS Executive Committee and the Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations plan to expand cooperation. The matter was discussed at the meeting of First Deputy Chairman of the Executive Committee, CIS Executive Secretary Vladimir Garkun with FAO's Assistant Director General and Regional Representative for Europe and Central Asia Vladimir Rakhmanin, BelTA learnt from the press service of the CIS Executive Committee.

"The parties agreed to expand cooperation between the CIS Executive Committee and the FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia," the press service said.

Vladimir Garkun informed the guest on the forthcoming meetings of the CIS Foreign Ministers Council and the CIS Heads of State Council that are due in Minsk on 9-10 October stressing that the meetings would consider a wide range of issues related to various cooperation areas in the Commonwealth of Independent States, BelTA reports.

According to Vladimir Garkun, economy is a priority in CIS cooperation. Economic issues comprise food security and agricultural development, which are also the areas of interest for FAO. In particular, the CIS has well-performing specialized councils: the coordination council on phyto-sanitary control, intergovernmental councils on seed farming, the agro-industrial complex, forestry and timber processing complex, and cooperation in animal health.

"Food security remains one of the most important themes for the CIS member states," Vladimir Garkun said. In 1992 the CIS Heads of State Council and the CIS Heads of Government Council signed over 70 documents in food security. The CIS heads of state announced 2011 the Year of Enhancing Food Security in the CIS. Great attention is paid to this issue in the action plan on the implementation of the second stage (2012-2015) of the CIS economic development strategy through 2020.

Vladimir Garkun also took note of the importance and scale of projects and programs implemented in the CIS member states with the assistance of FAO.

Vladimir Rakhmanin stressed that FAO is interested in expanding cooperation with the CIS member states. "For me the development of relations with the post-Soviet countries is one of the main goals today. The work in this direction is underway," he said, adding that there are plans to open a partner office in Moscow in 2014. The relevant talks are in process with Baku and Astana. FAO has its representation offices in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.

According to Vladimir Rakhmanin, in 2013 FAO signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Eurasian Economic Commission. The action plan on the implementation of the document is currently drafted. He also stated that FAO is interested to see the CIS states among the participants of the organization's events.

CIS News