Armenian Ministry of Agriculture and FAO signed cooperation agreement

ArmInfo. RA Ministry of Agriculture and UN Food and Agricultural Organization signed an Agreement on cooperation entitled " Country Projects Priorities Margins", through which FAO will keep on supporting Armenia's agrarian sector, particularly, to support farmers, to improve the competitiveness of forestry and fishing facilities, to implement steps to increase the living standard of the country side population. 

As ArmInfo was informed at the press office of the Ministry, the  document signing event took place during the meeting of Ignatiy  Arakelyan, the Armenian Minsiter of Argiculture, with  FAO Deputy  Representative for Europe and Central Asia countries Raymond Yelen.   Mentioning the high potential of Armenian Agriculture and giving a  positive estimate due to the implementation of organization's  projects in Armenia. Yelen expressed a readiness to continue the  cooperation. "We pay a special importance to the role of small farms  and family farms in Armenia. That is why the project is aimed exactly  at this group. Besides, the Agreement will help Armenia to protect  its natural resources more effectively and will increase the  sustainability of disasters response," Yellen mentioned.  

In his turn, Ignatiy Arakelyan, the Armenian Argicultural Minister,  stated: "We are standing now tin front of challenges, and to struggle  against those we expect  the help of international entities and  partners, including FAO". According to the source, the Minister  presented briefly also the priorities of the sector and prevailing  problems, accentuating particularly the importance of setting the  intensive gardens, fishing development without harming water  resources, issues on implementation of capital irrigation, etc.  During the meeting  the Parties also referred the issue of  enumeration of farm animals. 

To note, the Program has been developed based on the results of  discussions of RA Agricultural Ministry with other state entities and  donation organizations, including EU, Austrian Development Agency,  Swiss Agency on Cooperation and Development etc. 

To remind, the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) was found  in 1945. FAO plays the leading role in the international cooperation  on agricultural and rural development, being a platform where all the  countries communicate on the basis of equity.