Bilateral meeting with the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation - His Excellency Sergey Vershinin

Rome -  FAO Director-General, QU Dongyu, and H.E. Sergey Vershinin, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, met on the margins of the UN Food Systems Summit +2 Stocktaking Moment taking place at FAO headquarters from 24 to 26 July.

The Deputy Minister affirmed the Russian Federation’s interest in the UN Food Systems’ Summit outcomes and the country’s readiness to play a leading role in transforming agrifood systems. The Deputy Minister briefed the Director-General on the Russia-Africa Summit taking place on 27 and 28 July 2023, with three high-level sessions focusing on food security and agriculture.

The Director-General welcomed efforts for cooperation between countries and referred to the FAO Hand-in-Hand Initiative (HiHi) as an effective instrument to facilitate this cooperation and assist vulnerable countries. He also referred to the World Food Forum, which had been established in 2021 to provide a platform for countries to present their comprehensive investment plans and attract donors.