Read-out of the Director-General’s bilateral meeting with the Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development of Albania, Frida Krifca

Tirana – Today the FAO Director-General, QU Dongyu, met with Frida Krifca, Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development of Albania, amid a bilateral visit to the country.
The Minister expressed her appreciation for FAO's strategic partnership and close cooperation in different areas, including policy support, smallholder farming and strengthening of value chains. FAO is a major and growing player for developing Albania’s agriculture, rural areas, and climate and environmental sectors, contributing to three out of four United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework outcomes.
The two recalled their recent discussion in December regarding strengthened cooperation on agrifood systems transformation and promoting agriculture innovation and investments. The Director-General highlighted some of Albania’s key advantages in agriculture, such as its biodiversity and favourable weather conditions, which provide good investment opportunities in the agriculture sector.
Minister Krifca highlighted some key challenges where FAO expertise is crucial, such as policy support for building sustainable food value chains, the management of floods due to climate change and sustainable livestock management.
The Director-General shared his experience in agriculture zoning and holistic design, underlining Albania’s participation in the One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) initiative, access to international markets, value-chain and cash crop development, and attracting youth to agriculture through digital agriculture.