V4 agricultural research institutes sign cooperation agreement

The agricultural research institutes of the Visegrád Group (V4) countries concluded a partnership cooperation agreement aimed at coordinating agricultural research and science activities on Thursday in Budapest.

In his opening speech, Minister of Agriculture Sándor Fazekas stressed: “The signing of the V4 partnership resolution represents the opening of a new chapter in Central European agricultural, food economy and environmental research and cooperation”. “The Central and Eastern European landscape is a common treasure, and it is important for farmers in the region to make use of the results of research & development”, the Minister highlighted. Mr. Fazekas said one of the tasks of the V4 is to produce a quality of life, quality foods and a level of research and production that is competitive and worthy of the countries of the Visegrád Group.

“We must find solutions that enable Hungarian farmers to produce healthy and high quality natural foods.

This serves not only to protect the health of the population, but also the treasures of Hungarian national cuisine”, he said.

The Minister pointed out that in addition to food safety, a solution must also be found for the effects of climate change. Mr Fazekas said the idea that a virtual platform should come about for the exchange of experiences, sharing proposals and planning joint research projects between the V4 was positive.

Director-General of the National Agricultural Research and Innovation Centre (NAIK) Csaba Gyuricza said that the agreement, which was linked to the current Hungarian presidency of the V4, would enable the establishment of a professional network in which the participating research institutes and umbrella organisations that coordinate agricultural research will be able to coordinate their activities in the interests of enabling the Central European region to prepare for global challenges as successfully as possible. He pointed out that in the interests of reducing the migration pressure on Europe agricultural developments must also be exported, in addition to the activities of charity organisations and the securing of borders that ensure the enforcement of the law.

According to the Director-General, exporting agricultural knowledge is not a supplementary option with relation to curbing migration, but one of its fundamentals.

“People will eventually migrate from places where these is no work and not enough food to places where they can have access to these things”, he said.

In the interests of enabling the V4 to jointly do more for the food security and stability of the Euro-Mediterranean and Sub-Saharan region, and through these for European security, in the name of the NAIK Mr. Gyuricza offered to share Hungary’s existing relations in Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria and the ivory Coast with the countries of the Visegrád Group. The partnership cooperation agreement was signed by representatives of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia.

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Source: kormany.hu – press release