Bilateral Meeting With H.E. Linkham Duangsavanh, Minister For Agriculture And Forestry Of The Lao People’s Democratic Republic
16 October 2024, Rome: FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu met today with H.E. Linkham Duangsavanh, Minister for Agriculture and Forestry of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, at FAO headquarters on the margins of the 2024 World Food Forum (WFF).
The Minister expressed his gratitude for the warm reception and highlighted his primary focus on advancing modern agriculture in Lao PDR. He emphasized that the meeting presented a valuable opportunity to strengthen cooperation between Lao PDR and FAO in several critical areas, including food security, food productivity, engaging the private sector, traditional agriculture, forestry, technological innovation, and addressing the growing challenges of climate change.
The Minister further emphasized that agriculture was the backbone of Lao PDR’s economy, with rural development being a government priority. The Minister also addressed the country’s efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate-related disasters such as floods and crop losses, stressing the importance of youth engagement, biodiversity conservation, and aligning policies with FAO’s objectives.
Finally, the Minister expressed sincere appreciation to FAO for its ongoing support, particularly through flagship programmes like the Hand-in-Hand Initiative and the One Country One Product (OCOP) programme, which have been instrumental in promoting agricultural development in Lao PDR.
The Director-General warmly welcomed the Minister and commended the country for its leadership in achieving significant economic progress despite facing numerous challenges, and suggested that the country could benefit from transitioning to a middle-income country by developing a long-term strategic plan focused on rural economic growth and agricultural development. The Director-General highlighted the OCOP programme was an effective tool for transforming agrifood systems and commended Lao PDR’s decision to implement the initiative at the provincial level.
The Director-General further emphasized two key areas of focus for Lao PDR: building competitiveness in the agricultural sector and strengthening rural development to attract investment, which he identified as having tremendous potential. He stressed the importance of not only developing policies but also enhancing marketing, engaging scientists, and fostering technological innovation.
The Director-General congratulated Lao PDR on its successful role as host of the East Asia Summit and encouraged the country to explore exporting a signature agricultural product to international markets, as a step toward expanding its economic opportunities.
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