Shivraj Chouhan holds bilateral talks with ASEAN agriculture ministers

On the sidelines of the 9th ASEAN–India Ministerial Meeting, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan held bilateral talks with ministers from Malaysia, Timor-Leste, and Myanmar to strengthen cooperation in agriculture and allied sectors.

On the sidelines of the 9th ASEAN–India Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture and Forestry in New Delhi, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan held a series of high-level bilateral discussions with his counterparts from Malaysia, Timor-Leste, and Myanmar. In an X post, Chouhan emphasised that "farmers from India and ASEAN can easily understand each other's challenges. Small landholdings, expensive machinery, the changing temperament of the weather, access to markets, and the concern of connecting youth to farming—these are our shared concerns," underscoring the significance of the event.

India-Malaysia Bilateral Meeting

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, a meeting between Shivraj Chouhan and Malaysia's Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Mohamed Bin Sabu, was held on Wednesday. The Ministers noted the importance of sharing knowledge, expertise and best practices, and expressed interest in strengthening collaboration in joint agricultural research, technology and innovation through the mechanism of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to provide an institutional framework for cooperation in areas of mutual interest in agriculture and allied sectors.

Both the Ministers noted that bilateral issues relating to germplasm exchange, trade, and market access could be addressed through mutual cooperation to strengthen the close and strong partnership between India and Malaysia in Agriculture and related issues.

India-Timor-Leste Cooperation

Chouhan also held a meeting with Marcos Da Cruz, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Forestry, Timor-Leste. The Minister from Timor-Leste expressed interest in building a strong institutional mechanism between both sides to address various challenges in Agriculture and ensure food security for the nation. Shivraj Singh Chouhan reiterated the commitment of the Government of India to share its best practices to support Timor-Leste in advancing its agricultural research and innovation capabilities through the exchange of scientists and experts and human resource development.

The Minister from Timor-Leste also expressed interest that India may consider deputing a team of technical and scientific experts to Timor-Leste to assess ground-level challenges and provide technical recommendations in the areas of agriculture, forestry, livestock, and aquaculture.

Discussions with Myanmar

Another meeting was held between Chauhan and Min Naung, Union Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation, Myanmar. Chouhan welcomed the Minister from Myanmar and shared that both sides have had a strong cultural and people-to-people connection for a long time, and Myanmar is a close partner for India as it shares about 1600 km of border with India. The Minister noted that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two countries is at an advanced stage of finalisation for strengthening cooperation in agriculture and allied sectors, the Union Agriculture Ministry said.

Both sides also discussed the trade potential between the two nations and noted that a strong partnership between both sides in mutually identified areas will help each other in enhancing trade in agriculture-related goods such as pulses, cotton, dairy development, and agriculture education. Myanmar side also suggested favourable investment opportunities in the country to focus on strengthening economic and agricultural ties between the two countries. (ANI)

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