Minister Han attends 14th Meeting of ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry Plus Three

The 14th Meeting of ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry Plus Three (AMAF+3) was held in Naypyidaw, Myanmar on September 24, 2014. Minister Han Changfu attended the Meeting and delivered a keynote speech.

Minister Han noted that agriculture is one of the key components of China-ASEAN cooperation, and the AMAF+3 Meeting is an important platform for regional cooperation on agriculture and food. Over these years, China and ASEAN countries have conducted a number of pragmatic and fruitful collaborative programs under this mechanism, including pilot and demonstration programs on high-quality and high-yield crops, transboundary plant and animal disease prevention & control, agricultural capacity building, and emergency food aid.

Minister Han reaffirmed that on the basis of equality and mutual benefit, China would like to provide agricultural aid and technical assistance to ASEAN countries within its capacity. He hoped that regional agricultural exchange and cooperation could be further strengthened under the AMAF+3 mechanism.

In order to enhance agricultural ties of ASEAN and China, Japan and Korea (ASEAN+3), Minister Han put forward the following six-point proposal: first, to advance communication and exchange on agriculture and food security policies; second, to upgrade the collaboration on agricultural capacity building; third, to seek innovative modes of pilot and demonstration programs on high-quality and high-yield crops; fourth, to intensify joint efforts in transboundary plant and animal disease prevention & control; fifth, to boost the sustained and rapid growth of agricultural trade; and sixth, to fully implement the Memorandum of Understanding between China and ASEAN on Agricultural Cooperation.

Delegates of ASEAN countries, Japan, Korea and the ASEAN secretariat fully agreed with Minister Han on the above remarks. The major contents of his speech were incorporated into the meeting report, and the six points in the proposal were listed as important measures to beef up agricultural cooperation under the ASEAN+3 framework.

At the interval of the Meeting, Minister Han met with Mr. Ouk Rabun, Cambodian Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. The two sides exchanged views on enhancing agricultural cooperation mechanism.