Bilateral meeting with H.E. Aleksandr Kulik, Minister for Forestry of the Republic of Belarus

Minsk - During his two-day visit to Belarus, the FAO Director-General, Dr QU Dongyu, met with H.E. Aleksandr Kulik, Minister for Forestry of the Republic of Belarus, to discuss ongoing cooperation and opportunities to further strengthen collaboration in the forestry sector.

The Minister highlighted Belarus’s strong commitment to sustainable forest management, emphasizing that “forests have no borders” and required coordinated efforts for their protection. He underlined that the country’s primary objective was to preserve forests in their natural state, noting significant progress achieved over the past decades. In particular, the share of mature forests in Belarus had increased fivefold over the last 60 years and now stood at 23 percent, reflecting long-term stewardship and careful management.

The Minister looked forward to strengthening technical cooperation with FAO, particularly in the area of forest protection, and requested FAO’s support in improving pest monitoring systems, including the use of pheromone traps for bark beetles, as well as access to long-term protective chemical solutions and innovative application technologies. The Minister further highlighted the need to draw on the European experience in addressing large-scale forest dieback.

The Director-General commended Belarus for its achievements, noting that the country represented a unique example of effective forest management in Europe, particularly as a landlocked country with a strong and independent forestry governance structure. He praised Belarus’s advanced national forest inventory and monitoring system, as well as its technical and educational capacities, encouraging the country to share its experience more broadly through FAO platforms and projects.

The Director-General emphasized that Belarus could benefit from FAO’s technical assistance and financing opportunities, including through the Green Climate Fund, particularly in areas such as climate adaptation, pest and invasive species management, and ecosystem restoration. He also highlighted FAO’s readiness to support strengthened cooperation on forest health, including regional approaches to threats such as pests, wildfires and land degradation, as well as the development of sustainable forest-based value chains.

The Director-General encouraged Belarus to play an active role in FAO’s governing bodies, in particular the Committee on Forestry (COFO), noting that countries with dedicated forestry ministries are few and that Belarus’s voice is therefore both important and influential in global forestry discussions.

The meeting concluded with both sides reaffirming their commitment to further strengthening cooperation and advancing sustainable, resilient forest management at national, regional and global levels.