UN Food and Agriculture Organization proposed Eurasian Economic Commission to become full member of organization

On June 24, under of the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC), the meeting of the Member of the Board - Minister in charge of Technical Regulation of the EEC Valery Koreshkov and the Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (UN FAO) Jose Graziano da Silva took place.

The meeting was also attended by the Head of the UN FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia Vladimir Rakhmanin, Head of the UN FAO for Communication with Russia Igor Shcherbak, Russian Foreign Ministry officials, Head of the Sanitary, Phytosanitary and Veterinary Measures Department of the EEC Oleg Arnautov, Head of the Agroindustrial Policy Department of the EEC Roman Romashkin.

Valery Koreshkov noted that the Commission makes a point of cooperation with the UN FAO. It contributes to harmonization of the legal framework of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) with international standards, guidelines and recommendations.

FAO activity on development of organic agriculture, seed production, unification of genomic selection and evaluation methods used in cattle breeding, forming the risk assessment system, while ensuring food safety, improvement of animal product identification, registration and traceability system, ensuring sanitary and epidemiological welfare of the population, phytosanitary security is of a great interest for the Union.

José Graziano da Silva noted the relevancy of cooperation between the EEC and FAO for development of the Eurasian region, stressed the importance of participation of the EEC staff in seminars organized by FAO. He also told about opening offices for communication with FAO in Moscow and Astana, the expansion of the organization activity in Kyrgyzstan and Armenia.

At the meeting held, the Parties identified the priority areas for cooperation:

- cooperation in the field of organic agriculture, seed production, unification of genomic selection and evaluation methods used in cattle breeding;

- application of risk assessment methodology while ensuring food safety;

- creation of methodology on food safety information accounting and collection;

- exchange of experience in order to improve animal product identification, registration and traceability systems;

- ensuring phytosanitary security of the territories in international trade;

- cooperation on information exchange.

José Graziano da Silva proposed the Eurasian Economic Commission to consider membership in the UN FAO. According to him, this would unify various country approaches to addressing global issues of food security and issues related to climate change.

Source: Eurasian Economic Commission official web-site