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Union Minister Arjun Munda met ASEAN Secretary-General Dr Kao Kim Horn on Wednesday at the Ministry of Agriculture.
A delegation led by Dr Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN, called on Arjun Munda at Krishi Bhavan in New Delhi. The Union Agriculture Minister extended a warm welcome to the delegation and affirmed that India values its relationship with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as a key pillar of its foreign policy in line with India's Act East Policy. The Minister emphasized the need to deepen our existing ASEAN-India relations by focussing on cooperation in the field of agriculture. It was noted that India regularly participates in the ASEAN- India Agriculture Ministers' Meeting and reaffirmed the commitment that India and ASEAN shall continue to work on issues of mutual interests including food security. In this context recalling successful celebration of ASEAN-India Millets Festival, Minister underlined the need of collective efforts towards mainstreaming millets. The Minister also announced training programmes for ASEAN Member States at various institutions of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) including on Post Harvest Agriculture. Dr Kao Kim Hourn, ASEAN Secretary General applauded India's efforts on agriculture cooperation under ASEAN-India framework. He called upon the need to expand work on various sectors such as agriculture products, best practices, exchange programs, climate change, food security. He emphasized that India and ASEAN could jointly work towards sustainable Agriculture, promotion of digital technology in the agricultural sector and reduction of harmful agrochemicals to benefit the farming community in ASEAN Member States using India's expertise and scientific knowledge in addressing these challenges. Union Agriculture and Farmers Affairs Minister reiterated the commitment of India's continuous support for strengthening and expanding the India-ASEAN partnership in general and cooperation on agriculture in specific. (ANI)
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