Bilateral meeting with the Minister of Agriculture of Tajikistan - His Excellency Kurban Khakimzoda

Samarkand – FAO Director-General QU Dongyu and His Excellency Kurban Khakimzoda, the Minister of Agriculture of Tajikistan, met on the sidelines of the International Conference on Food Security (ICFS), which took place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on 7-8 September 2023.

The Minister congratulated the Director-General on his re-election and for FAO’s technical support for the successful organization of the International Conference on Food Security on a global scale. He also thanked the Director-General for addressing crucial issues such as food security and the climate crisis in his opening remarks at the ICFS.

The Minister highlighted the significant support provided by FAO to Tajikistan since its early days of independence. He conveyed warm greetings from His Excellency Emomali Rahmon, the President of Tajikistan..

The Minister underlined water scarcity as a serious challenge facing Central Asia, particularly Tajikistan. He noted that approximately 60 percent of the water resources in Central Asia, specifically in the Aral Sea basin, originate in Tajikistan. Over the past 40 years, due to the negative impacts of climate change, up to 1,000 glaciers in Tajikistan have melted. These glaciers play a crucial role in supplying water to the main rivers of the country, which is not only vital for Tajikistan but also for other countries in the Central Asian region. The Minister conveyed his satisfaction that the ICFS had highlighted the importance of introducing drought-resistant plant varieties to ensure good harvests and mitigate climate change.

The Minister expressed his gratitude to FAO for the support provided in ensuring food security and agricultural development. In particular, he highlighted FAO's assistance in improving locust management in Tajikistan, noting the serious threat posed by locusts to agricultural crop yields and food supply.

The Director-General thanked the Minister and appreciated the efforts being made, and conveyed his best wishes to His Excellency Emomali Rahmon, the President of Tajikistan.

Qu proposed holding a Global Water Conference in Tajikistan within the next five years, emphasizing that the conference would serve as a valuable platform for sharing the best practices in this area and for drawing international attention to the challenges faced by landlocked developing countries in ensuring the food security of their populations and sustainable development.

In this regard, the Minister informed that the International Conference on Glaciers Preservation is planned to be held in Dushanbe in 2025. The Director-General stressed the importance of elevating water scarcity issues to a global level and affirmed that the Organization would support Tajikistan in promoting this initiative.