Minister of State for Agricultural Economy György Czerván received Laos's Deputy Minister of Agriculture Phouang Parisak Pravongviengkham, who is visiting Hungary with his delegation within the framework of the Global Forum and Expo on Family Farming"

During the course of the bilateral negotiations, the Minister of State stressed that the country's policy of Opening to the East includes reinforcing Hungarian-Laosian agrarian relations and the continuation of intensive cooperation between research institutes, and especially within the fields of fishery management, animal husbandry and feed production, all of which must be strengthened and further developed.

Mr. Czerván then summarised Hungary's most outstanding macroeconomic achievements for the period 2010-2013 and described the main processes that are underway within the agrarian sector, in addition to which he pointed out the favourable developments with regard to figures for agricultural output, investment projects and employment, as well as increasing agrarian foreign trade turnover.

Mr. Pravongviengkham emphasised that Hungary is one of Laos's priority partners within the field of the sustainable use of natural resources, and especially with regard to Hungarian results and experience in developing the Southeast Asian country's available "green" resources and sustainable farming (including freshwater aquaculture).

Laos's Deputy Minister for Agriculture also pointed that Laos would be joining the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015 and that cooperation with Hungary would help meet the related challenges and exploit the inherent opportunities.

On the basis of their discussions, both parties confirmed that they wish to further cooperation between the two countries for example with regard to the establishing of a model food security system based on the activities of family farms, the establishment of laboratory facilities, the development of animal health service facilities, improving the food supply and standard of living of the rural population and of people who live off agriculture in certain predetermined regions of Laos and in promoting cooperation between private enterprises.

Agriculture is one of the main pillars of Laos's economy, with some 71% percent of the working population employed within the agrarian sector. 48% of the country's GDP is derived from agriculture and the utilisation of natural resources.

(Press Office of the Ministry of Rural Development)