Voronezh governor visits FAO regional office in Budapest

The governor of Voronezh region in Russian Federation paid a visit to FAO’s Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia here today. Aleksey Gordeyev met with Vladimir Rakhmanin, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Europe and Central Asia, to discuss arrangements for the FAO Regional Conference for Europe, set to take place in Voronezh in May 2018.

FAO Regional Conferences are an official forum where Ministers of Agriculture and other high officials from all FAO Members in the region meet to debate challenges related to food and agriculture. The Regional Conference is held once every two years, in years when the global FAO Conference does not meet in regular session.

During today’s meeting, Gordeyev confirmed his dedication to securing a successful Conference.

“FAO greatly appreciates the Russian Federation’s generous offer to host the 31st FAO Regional Conference for Europe next year in Voronezh,” said Rakhmanin. “Food and agriculture issues are high on the international agenda, and it is essential that the countries come together to discuss the region’s particular problems and make policy recommendations.”

Goran Stavrik, FAO Regional Programme Officer and Acting Secretary of the Regional Conference, was present at the meeting with the Governor and his delegation.

“It was a pleasure to meet the colleagues from Voronezh, many of whom we will be working with on practical organization of the Regional Conference,” Stavrik said.

“The Conference venue in Voronezh is newly built with all the modern facilities to accommodate an event of this size,” Stavrik said. “I am sure we will have productive sessions there, and that all Members and observers will find it more than satisfactory.”

Attendance at the Regional Conference is by Ministers of Agriculture or other high-level representatives of the FAO Members from Europe and Central Asia region. Relevant nongovernmental and intergovernmental organizations as well as private sector representatives are invited to attend as Observers.

The 30th Regional Conference for Europe was held in Ankara, Turkey in May 2016.

25 October 2017, Budapest, Hungary