Hanoi (VNA) - The Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) on February 6 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on South-South and triangular cooperation on agriculture.
The MoU was inked at the meeting between Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan and visiting FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu in Hanoi on February 6.
Qu’s working trip from February 5-8 aims to promote bilateral cooperation in the fields of agriculture, food security, environmental protection, and rural development amid complicated and unpredictable global developments. These include emerging trends such as trade protectionism, green transition, digital transformation, and non-traditional security challenges, with the agricultural sector expected to be the first to feel the impacts.
Hoan affirmed that FAO is a key partner among the UN’s technical cooperation agencies and international organisations for Vietnam's agriculture and rural sector.
The Government and farmers of Vietnam highly appreciate FAO's effective support over the past 45 years through more than 400 projects on sustainable agricultural, forestry, and fishery development. This support has included technical assistance, financial aid, and human resources training for the country's agricultural sector, contributing to the stabilisation of people's livelihoods and the promotion of socio-economic development.
Throughout the development process of the agricultural sector, there has been a positive contribution from international partners, including FAO, which have played a key role in supporting Vietnam in achieving its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Hoan stressed.
The minister also expressed his gratitude to the FAO Director-General and the FAO Vietnam Office for their support and coordination in mobilising urgent resources to assist people in recovering after Typhoon Yagi and its circulation hit Vietnam in September 2024 .
Qu appreciated Vietnam's extensive cooperation in FAO-led projects, not only in the region but also globally. He emphasised that a shift in mindset is the key factor for achieving breakthrough changes in Vietnam's agricultural sector, and the country needs to focus on the synchronous development of various goods sectors and gradually build a green agricultural economy, which will help enhance its position on the global agricultural map.
Hoan proposed FAO assist Vietnam in developing specific cooperation projects and programmes to mobilise funding from donors and climate finance funds for such areas as rice cultivation, sustainable aquaculture, livestock, forestry, efficient resource use, and biodiversity conservation.
The nation also hopes to receive the organisation’s assistance in implementing the Action Plan for transforming the food system towards transparency, responsibility, and sustainability, he stated, calling for promoting the private sector’s participation in investing in and developing low-emission, ecological agriculture.
Vietnam is ready to share its experiences and collaborate with other countries in agricultural and rural development through South-South cooperation programmes and trilateral partnerships with the support of bilateral and multilateral international partners, the minister stressed.
Proposing FAO act as a bridge to mobilise funding so that Vietnamese agricultural experts can guide, create demonstration models, and share experiences with African countries through South-South cooperation, Hoan affirmed that Vietnam is also willing to establish a South-South Cooperation Centre for the Asia-Pacific region.
For his part, the FAO Director-General said that the organisation is ready to support Vietnam in deeper involvement in South-South cooperation, as this will not only benefit Vietnam but also countries in the Southern Hemisphere./.
