Read-out of the FAO Director-General’s meeting with Kiyoshi ODAWARA, State Minister of Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs

New York – FAO Director-General QU Dongyu, and Kiyoshi ODAWARA, State Minister of Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a meeting today discussed the longstanding cooperation between FAO and Japan.

The meeting reaffirmed the importance of the partnership between FAO and Japan, with the Director-General expressing his appreciation for Japan’s ongoing support to the Organization and the need to strengthen this cooperation. The State Minister extended his appreciation for the work FAO is leading, including on the impacts of the war in Ukraine on food security. 

The Director-General and the State Minister discussed the importance of long-term interventions, investing in agriculture, and supporting import-dependent countries to be able to produce food where it is most needed.

The State Minister acknowledged FAO’s key role as a global leader in data and analysis. He discussed the need to preserve free passage for humanitarian and food assistance – even during conflicts – to rebuild production capacity of countries, and to maintain strong and reliable supply chains.

The Director-General touched upon the importance of sustainable agricultural practices, in particular regarding the potential of irrigation to bolster production and global food supply and to avoid over-reliance on fertilizers, not only in Asia but worldwide.