FAO, the Eurasian Economic Commission laid out plan for further cooperation

By adopting a five-year action plan today in Budapest, FAO and the Eurasian Economic Commission committed to continue and deepen cooperation. This act enforces both parties’ pursuit to realize their mutual goals and objectives in achieving food security and sustainable development.

Signatory parties, represented by Vladimir Rakhmanin, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative, and Alexander Subbotin, Minister in charge of Industry and Agriculture of the Commission, exchanged letters. Besides, Aleksandr Ponomarev, Ambassador of Belarus, Nurbakh Rustemov, Ambassador of Kazakhstan, and Vladimir Sergeyev, Ambassador of the Russian Federation were also present.

The collaboration builds on a memorandum of understanding, signed in 2013. Given the fruitful and efficient mutual work, the two organizations decided last year to extend the document until 2023.

The action plan, covering the period of 2019-2023, is to ensure the realization of the goals of the memorandum. Specifically, it includes areas such as food market development, improving business environment for agricultural producers, legal framework of organic products, phytosanitary issues, and many more. It should facilitate interaction with FAO conferences, meetings, governing bodies and technical commissions, including the Codex Alimentarius and Commission on Phytosanitary Measures.

“FAO has a wide portfolio in the countries concerned. By combining our forces with the Commission, we can facilitate implementation of FAO mandate in Eurasian Economic Union member countries. We can give additional impetus to ensure better nutritional status and sustainable agriculture in that part of the world,” said Vladimir Rakhmanin.

Headquartered in Moscow, the Eurasian Economic Commission is an executive body of the Eurasian Economic Union, whose member states currently include Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and the Russian Federation. Its purpose is to improve competitiveness and increase cooperation among the national economies and to promote stable development and raising living standards in its member countries. The organization is an observer to FAO.

14 August 2019, Budapest, Hungary