Hungarian-Turkish agrarian relations may be developed perspectively, Minister for Rural Development Sándor Fazekas told Hungarian news agency MTI in a telephone interview after meeting with his counterpart, Turkish Minister of Agriculture Mehmet Mehdi Eker in Ankara on Wednesday.

At the meeting both parties fully agreed that Hungarian-Turkish agrarian relations are excellent. The two Ministers see especially significant room for expansion with regard to developing the export of Hungarian cattle to Turkey and within the fields of the food industry, including the poultry and milk sectors, and forest management.

Mr. Fazekas stressed that Hungarian experts had already played a significant role in the implementation of Turkish forestry programmes, and Hungary welcomes further cooperation within this field.

Accordingly, Minister Fazekas and representatives of the related Turkish ministries signed a memorandum on cooperation between the two countries within the fields of forest management and environmental protection.

The Hungarian Minister for Rural Development also said that the Turkish party had shown great interest in possible scientific cooperation, especially with regard to targeted research in certain fields, including animal husbandry and especially freshwater fish farming. In addition, there are excellent opportunities for Hungary within the fields of agricultural seed cultivation and mushroom farming. With regard to environmental protection, the Turkish party expressed great interest with regard to Hungarian professional expertise within the fields of wastewater treatment and water supply.

As a result of professional negotiations, an agreement was reached on the establishment of a Hungarian-Turkish Joint Committee on Environmental Protection and of two working groups on forest management and water.

Sándor Fazekas indicated that the further development of Hungarian-Turkish agricultural relations had also been a significant topic of the intergovernmental meeting, adding that he had invited his Turkish counterpart to visit Hungary. The official visit is expected to take place during the first quarter of 2014. Minister for Rural Development Sándor Fazekas is currently in Turkey as part of the Hungarian delegation accompanying Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on his official visit to the country.

(MTI)