“It gives us great pleasure to note the growing dynamics and consistent development of mutually beneficial cooperation between FAO and the member states of the OTS, where the agricultural sector is one of the main factors for the sustainable socio-economic development of the member states of this organization. FAO-Turkey Partnership Program is one of the brightest examples of cooperation between FAO and OTS member countries. The overarching goal of this program is to provide technical assistance in a variety of areas, such as agriculture, agribusiness, food security and nutrition, forestry, nature conservation, drought management and combatting desertification, biodiversity and climate change in rural areas of Azerbaijan, Turkey and Central Asian countries”, Viorel Gutu said.
The events provided a good platform for discussing further ways to develop cooperation and new prospects in the area of agriculture. During the VII Meeting of the Ministers of Agriculture of the ECO Member States, the presiding party represented by the Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Uzbekistan Jamshid Khodjaev put forward several initiatives for the strategic partnership of the ECO countries in cooperation with FAO. The initiatives included support for household farms and horticulture, development of agricultural cooperatives in Uzbekistan together with the ECO countries, close interaction between the ECO countries in personnel matters, intensification of cooperation in the field of organic production in agriculture, creation of better conditions for seed trade, implementation of joint projects with the active involvement of experts in this area, digitalization of agriculture, the development of agritourism among the ECO countries, as well as the strengthening of cooperation in food security.
Two new project documents were signed during Viorel Gutu’s visit to Tashkent. The signing ceremony of an agreement on the joint implementation of the Food Systems, Land Use and Restoration Impact Program in Uzbekistan (FOLUR), aimed at promoting a sustainable agricultural production system and preserving ecosystems took place at the State Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Ecology and Environmental Protection. The agreement on the joint implementation of the project “Sustainable Forest and Rangelands Management in the Dryland Ecosystems of Uzbekistan” was signed at the State Forestry Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan, and it is aimed at promoting sustainable management of land and forest resources and restoration of landscapes to fulfill Uzbekistan’s obligations targeting a land degradation neutrality. Both projects will be implemented with the support of the Global Environment Facility. The strategic partner of both projects is the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
These projects contribute to the implementation of important tasks outlined in the Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev “On measures to create an effective system to combat land degradation” of June 10, 2022.
“The signing of these documents will launch our joint efforts aimed at supporting the measures taken in Uzbekistan to combat land degradation. FAO has technical expertise in agriculture, food security, climate change, forestry, fisheries, healthy diets and many other areas that are part of agri-food systems. We hope that our cooperation will only be strengthened and have a decent result for the benefit of the Republic of Uzbekistan”, Viorel Gutu noted.
UzA
