Hungary and FAO are putting their cooperation on new foundations

Hungary’s cooperation with FAO goes back a long time, and was given legal form in 2007 through an agreement between the world organization and the government. According to this, Hungary provides a seat for the FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia and its Shared Services Center. In addition, the government awards scholarships to students from developing countries for their master’s-level agricultural studies in Hungary, thereby expanding the knowledge base of agricultural production in the countries concerned. Another important area of ​​cooperation is that Hungary participates in the financing of numerous development projects implemented in the European and Central Asian regions.

During the meeting, the Deputy Director-General emphasized the key role of Budapest in the FAO global system and expressed his gratitude for the support and cooperation of the Hungarian government so far. Deputy State Secretary Oszkár Ökrös confirmed that Hungary is committed to further strengthening cooperation and that the government may conclude a new agreement with FAO this year to expand and deepen joint work. The parties agreed that the 80th anniversary of the organization’s existence, which falls this year, could be a worthy occasion to renew the agreement and at the same time an opportunity to direct public attention to the challenges and opportunities related to agriculture and food.