Read-out of the bilateral meeting between FAO Director-General QU Dongyu and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Serbia Nikola Selaković

On 31 March 2021, the Director-General QU Dongyu met with the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Serbia Nikola Selaković.

The Director-General congratulated the Minister for Foreign Affairs on his recent appointment. The Minister thanked the Director-General for being the first FAO Director-General to visit Serbia.

The Director-General and the Minister discussed ways to scale up innovation and digitalization in the country and how FAO can support agri-food systems transformation of Serbia. They exchanged views on how Serbia can benefit from its vast biodiversity.

The Director-General shared some examples from his professional experience on how to use research to prioritize a few commodities and then use digital technology to transform agriculture and boost rural development.

The Director-General emphasized the importance of the Ministry of Agriculture working together with other Ministries for a coherent approach and a successful transformation of agri-food systems.

The Director-General and the Minister reaffirmed intentions to further strengthen cooperation between FAO and Serbia.

The Director-General also commended the Government of Serbia on the COVID-19 vaccination situation in the country.