As a committed partner of FAO, Hungary supports the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals with an international agricultural scholarship programme covering almost 50 countries and with the financing of joint projects – highlighted by István Nagy, Minister of Agriculture, at his meeting with FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu.
The Director-General arrived in Hungary between November 25-27 to hold a meeting with his Hungarian partner, István Nagy, Minister of Agriculture. Also visits FAO’s offices in Budapest operating for almost a decade and a half, the Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia, as well as the Shared Services Centre (SSC) of FAO in Budapest.
During the meeting, the minister stressed the importance of the presence of specialized UN organizations in Hungary. The Hungarian Government provides space for the Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia, as well as for the Shared Services Centre (SSC) of FAO in Budapest which have created jobs for hundreds of mostly Hungarian employees. The Minister assured the Director-General that the cooperation started in 2007 will remain unbroken in the future: the Ministry of Agriculture continues to provide scholarships for young people from developing countries to continue their master’s studies. The Ministry continues to support FAO projects and also provides Hungarian experts.
The parties also touched on a number of global issues such as the importance of Food System Transformation, an initiative which Hungary has joined. They also agreed that the war taking place in Hungary’s neighbourhood has a negative impact on food security not only in our region, it also affects the global food supply and puts a lot of pressure on the economy, especially on the agricultural sector. István Nagy also spoke about water management requests. He explained that solutions must be found for the lack of rainfall and drought, therefore irrigation development is the basis for secure food supply. The Director-General of the FAO invited the Minister of Agriculture to the headquarters of the International Organization in Rome to present the experiences of Hungarian water management.
The Director-General thanked the Government of Hungary for its continued support of the FAO’s activities and emphasized that he will continue to count on Hungary’s cooperation in supporting the organization’s work.