Director-General QU Dongyu

Readout of FAO Director-General’s meeting with Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic

10/11/2021

Rome--FAO Director-General QU Dongyu met with Ruslan Kazakbaev, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic.

The Director-General and the Minister discussed UN Climate Change Conference (COP26). The Director-General noted the active role of the Kyrgyz Republic during COP26, while the Minister pointed out that his country gives high priority to climate change issues.

The two also discussed the first large Green Climate Fund (GCF) project in Kyrgyzstan on carbon sequestration through climate investments in forests and rangelands, approved in November 2019. The Director-General noted the importance of completion of all legal frameworks in order to proceed with the GCF project. The Minister praised the amount of work done by both parties and expressed his hopes that negotiations would be finalized soon.

For his part, the Minister informed the Director-General that Kyrgyzstan has initiated a draft resolution to the 76th session of the UNGA on proclaiming 2022 as the International Year of Sustainable Mountain Development. In this regard, Bishkek will hold a Summit of Mountain Countries next year. Furthermore, upon initiative of the President of Kyrgyzstan, the UN Summit for Central Asia will take place in Bishkek next summer.

The pair conversed over the big agricultural potential of Kyrgyzstan, and the role of agri-food systems for the development of the country. They discussed how FAO can help Members to improve their international trade and how Kyrgyzstan can take advantage of FAO’s One Country - One Priority Product programme.