Vietnam, Sri Lanka bolster agricultural cooperation
VOV.VN - A delegation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) led by Minister Le Minh Hoan has paid a visit to Sri Lanka on the occasion of the 37th Session of the FAO Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific (APRC37).
During the visit from February 19 to February 21, the Vietnamese delegation paid a courtesy call to Sri Lankan Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena and held working sessions with Minister of Agriculture and Plantation Industries Mahinda Amaraweera and Minister of Fisheries Douglas Devananda.
They made a fact-finding trip to Harangala tea factory in Kandy, organised a seminar to connect agricultural businesses of the two countries in Colombo, and visited the Regional Development Bank of Sri Lanka. They also visited President Ho Chi Minh’s statue and an exhibition space featuring the Vietnamese national leader, as well as the Vietnamese Embassy.
Upon receiving the delegation, PM Dinesh Gunawardena congratulated Vietnam on its economic achievements and fast development over the years, affirming that Sri Lankan leaders and people always admire, respect, and love President Ho Chi Minh and Vietnam.
He applauded policies that the Vietnamese side has applied to attract foreign investors and create an optimal environment for them, suggesting that Vietnam share its experience with Sri Lanka on policies in the fields of agriculture and science-technology, especially plant varieties and rice industry development.
For his part, Minister Hoan said that amid globalisation, countries should co-operate with each other to deal with common issues and supplement each other with their strengths.
Sri Lanka is strong in tea production, while Vietnam is strong in rice and fishery, he noted, affirming that the Vietnamese side stands willing to co-operate with and share its experience in agriculture and rural development with their Sri Lankan partners, while promoting bilateral partnership in trade and investment in the field of agriculture to ensure supply for the two countries and export.
At the working session with Minister of Agriculture and Plantation Industries Mahinda Amaraweera, Minister Hoan said that the MARD always places great importance on collaboration with Sri Lanka in the field of agriculture, expressing hope at the prospect of further boosting ties, especially in agro-forestry-fishery trade and science-technology.
Both sides witnessed the signing of a joint work plan on agricultural co-operation in the 2024 to 2026 period, which focuses on collaboration in research and experience sharing, as well as short-term training in the fields of cultivation, animal husbandry, aquaculture, and irrigation.
