Food safety in Europe and Central Asia, and the minimizing of food price fluctuations will be the central topics of the 28th European Regional Conference of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), to be held in April in Baku, Azerbaijan. Minister for Rural Development Sándor Fazekas will represent Hungary at the event. The informal forum on January 26-27 2012, organised with the participation of government officials from several European and Central Asian countries, will be held in preparation for the Conference.

The government and the Ministry of Rural Development, in harmony with FAO objectives, regards food safety, the sustainable development of rural areas and the responsible management of natural resources as being of extreme importance, and agrees with the proposals of the international organisation regarding these issues.

The informal meeting of January 26-27 is being organised by the FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia, and the host of the event is the Ministry of Rural Development. High-ranked representatives from over 30 countries will be arriving in Budapest for the discussions, at which both Minister for Rural Development Sándor Fazekas and FAO Deputy Director-General Fernanda Guerrieri will take the floor, to prepare for the conference in Baku.

Hungary joined the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation in 1968. Thanks to successful agricultural diplomacy, Budapest is now home to the FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia and the FAO Shared Services Centre, where the work of the organisation is aided by over 100 dedicated Hungarian professionals.

(Press Office of the Ministry of Rural Development)