MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Massa signs deal with FAO chief Qu Dongyu

Massa and Dongyu reviewed the international context of the food market

Argentina's Superminister of Economy and Production Sergio Massa signed an agreement with Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Director General Qu Dongyu during the latter's trip to Buenos Aires for the VII Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac) Summit.

Massa highlighted the Argentine government's intention to advance during the next months in the definition and execution of new joint projects aimed at facing environmental problems, encouraging livestock production, implementing sustainable dryland management systems, and combating desertification.

In addition, comprehensive and sustainable food policies are to be developed to strengthen territorial planning, promote aquaculture and provide tools to bolster family farming.

Massa and Dongyu reviewed the international context of the food market after Russia's invasion of Ukraine and both agreed that Argentina will play a key role in the coming years.

Dongyu was among the foreign dignitaries to hold quick meetings with President Alberto Fernández due to the Celac Summit. In their encounter, Fernández underlined that Argentina “is one of the world's main suppliers of healthy, nutritious and quality food.”

Fernández also met with the presidents of Cuba and Honduras, Prime Minister Ariel Henry of Haiti, and the European Council President Charles Michel, in addition to other lower-ranked officials.

Read also: Alberto Fernández meets with European Council President

The Argentine President also had a one-on-one meeting with US President Joseph Biden's Biden's envoy, former Senator Christopher Dodd.

With Henry, they spoke about the “historical bonds of solidarity” that unite both countries. Fernández his “strong commitment to the search for solutions” to the difficult institutional situation that Haiti is going through and stressed the need to “find a way out of the crisis that contemplates, in the first place, the interests of the Haitian people.”

After leaving Buenos Aires, Dongyu was due in Asunción, Paraguay.