KABUL (Pajhwok): Deputy Minister of Agriculture Mawlawi Sadr-i-Azam Usmani has travelled to Russia at the head of a delegation to strengthen technical cooperation, the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MoAIL) said on Sunday.
In a statement, the ministry said the official six-day visit would include Moscow and St Petersburg.
The delegation will visit key scientific and technical centres in the agriculture sector from 12 to 17 April this year.
The delegation includes the Director-General of Livestock Services, the Director of Fundamental, Implementation-oriented and Adaptive Research and a number of technical specialists from the ministry.
It said the main objective of the visit is to enhance technical capacity in plant and animal quarantine, improve quality control systems for agricultural products and gain familiarity with advanced agricultural systems.
The delegation will also seek to benefit from Russia’s experience and achievements in these areas and facilitate the expansion of cooperation between the two countries.
The ministry said the delegation would also visit port systems and export processes and hold discussions on facilitating agricultural exports.
Additionally, the delegation will tour plant disease diagnostic laboratories, agricultural product quality assessment centres and research institutions related to pest control and quarantine.
The statement noted that meetings are scheduled with relevant institutions of the Russian Federation to strengthen technical cooperation, exchange expertise and establish sustained relations in the agricultural sector.
The ministry expressed hope that the visit would yield positive and effective outcomes in enhancing technical capacity, implementing international standards and expanding bilateral cooperation between Afghanistan and Russia.
hz/sa
