Belarus, FAO to expand cooperation in agriculture

Nabil Gangi, FAO Deputy Regional Representative for Europe and Central Asia, met with Deputy Agriculture and Food Minister of Belarus Igor Brylo. The parties discussed current joint activities and cooperation plans, including innovative technology in cattle-breeding and the scholarship program of FAO and the government of Hungary.

“Over the past seven years, 18 FAO projects have been implemented in Belarus, including 11 national, three interregional and five regional ones to the tune of $2.5 million. These projects were mostly financed by FAO and partly by Russia,” Nabil Gangi said. In particular, the projects helped strengthen Belarus' capacity in monitoring and controlling pests and diseases of animals and plants; they also helped boost food safety, expand access to the food market, take inventory of the agricultural sector, assess the scale of land degradation and reduce risk of natural disasters.

The Belarusian side suggested some new areas of technical support, including promotion of food products, assistance in joining the World Trade Organization, support for women entrepreneurs in rural areas, strengthening veterinary systems, and ensuring control over the trans-boundary spread of animal diseases. "FAO stands ready to deepen its cooperation with the government on sustainable livestock production through the provision of technical support," said Nabil Gangi.

The parties also discussed FAO's contribution to the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for 2021-2025, especially in green transition, which is aimed at inclusive and sustainable growth through technical assistance to the government.

Belarus joined FAO in 2005. The main cooperation priorities are agriculture, forestry and environmental management.