26 March 2015, Budapest, Hungary – The Eurasian Economic Commission and FAO are developing their cooperation, with special emphasis on crop production and plant protection, natural and biotechnology resources for food production, food and nutrition policy, and animal production and health – according to an exchange of letters and action plan adopted today in Budapest.

With headquarters in Moscow, the Eurasian Economic Commission is an executive body of the Eurasian Economic Union, whose member states currently include Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russian Federation. Its purpose is to improve competitiveness and increase cooperation among the national economies and to promote stable development and raising living standards in its member countries.

Sergey Sidorskiy, Minister in Charge of Industry and Agroindustrial Complex, represented the Eurasian Economic Commission at this morning’s exchange of letters, while FAO was represented by Vladimir Rakhmanin, Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Europe and Central Asia.


“The objectives of our two organizations are mutually reinforcing, especially in the areas of agricultural development and improved living conditions for rural people,” said Rakhmanin. “We see a great deal of scope for supporting one another’s efforts, and benefitting from the technical and policy expertise residing in our two institutions.”

Also in attendance at the signing ceremony were Aliaksandr Khainouski, Ambassador of the Republic of Belarus to Hungary and Slovenia, Nurbakh Rustemov, Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to Hungary, and Vladimir Sergeyev, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Hungary.

The exchange of letters and agreement on a work plan follow on the framework Memorandum of Understanding between FAO and the Eurasian Economic Commission signed in November 2013.