Bilateral meeting with H.E. Julio Berdegué Sacristán, Secretary for Agriculture and Rural Development of the United Mexican States

Mexico City – On occasion of his official visit to Mexico, FAO Director-General, QU Dongyu, met with His Excellency Julio Berdegué Sacristán, Secretary for Agriculture and Rural Development.

On behalf of President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, the Government, and himself, Secretary Berdegué welcomed the Director-General to Mexico. Secretary Bedegué noted that in a time marked by conflict, climate-change-related disasters, and economic tensions, Mexico had renewed its long-standing commitment to multilateralism and international solidarity.

Secretary Berdegué further underscored FAO’s irreplaceable role in bringing together countries facing similar challenges to discuss ways to bring prosperity and improve livelihoods of farmers around the world. He also noted that the alliance between Mexico and FAO was now 80 years old and still growing stronger.

The Director-General thanked Secretary Berdegué and commended him on his appointment by President Sheinbaum. The Director-General stated that it was a great honour for FAO, as well as for him personally, to see a former senior staff member appointed to such a high level in the Government of Mexico to contribute to the country’s rural development.

The Director-General encouraged Mexico to strengthen its leading role in the region with regard to both agricultural transformation and the provision of global public goods, counting on FAO as a strategic technical partner.

Both parties reaffirmed their commitment to continue scaling up collaboration between Mexico and FAO.