FAO Director-General QU Dongyu visits Albania
11 January 2023
FAO Director-General, QU Dongyu, visited Albania for a two-day visit in January 2023. During his visit, he held bilateral meetings with government officials, including the Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development of Albania, Frida Krifca, the President of the Republic of Albania, H.E. Bajram Begaj, and the Prime Minister of the Republic of Albania, H.E. Edi Rama. The Director-General also met smallholder farmers from the North of Albania and experts from the Agricultural University of Tirana.
FAO and the Government of Albania reiterated the wish to strengthen cooperation on agrifood systems transformation, innovative agriculture, statistics, and investments. The Minister of agriculture and rural development emphasized key challenges where FAO expertise is crucial, such as food security. The Director-General highlighted Albania's key advantages in agriculture, such as its biodiversity and favourable climatic conditions.
FAO Director-General QU Dongyu also visited the Agricultural University of Tirana, where he emphasized FAO's interest in supporting agriculture science and innovation. The Director General noted that the University could become an important platform for dialogue and knowledge sharing for the transformation of Albania's agrifood system.
The FAO delegation visited farms and agritourism that use sustainable practices and pay special attention to biodiversity. He praised their hard work and dedication to agriculture, noting that they were the backbone of food production in Albania. He also acknowledged the challenges faced by farmers, including climate change, market volatility, and access to finance, and pledged FAO's continued support to address these issues.
Overall, the Director-General's field visit was a testament to FAO's commitment to promoting sustainable agriculture and rural development in Albania and around the world.
UN entities involved in this initiative
Goals we are supporting through this initiative
