• FAO to support Vietnam in preventing shrimp disease

• Vietnam ready to share experience in agriculture and rural development

In his speech, Minister Phat briefed the participants on the results of the 31^st FAO Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific (APRC) in Hanoi from March 12-16.

He said the event had attracted 300 delegates, including 19 ministers and 8 chief representatives from 39 FAO member countries in the region and 34 observers. They proposed some solutions to further promote food security and poverty reduction.

The focus was on five priority areas - strengthening food and nutrition security, accelerating agricultural production and rural development, promoting effective use and management of natural resources, improving capacities to cope with agriculture and food disasters and dealing with the impact of climate change in agriculture, food security and nutrition.

It was agreed that FAO should allocate and increase financial resources for the Asia-Pacific region to overcome food security challenges for two-thirds of hungry people in the face of climate change and natural disasters.

Minister Phat said the 32^nd FAO regional conference will be held in Mongolia in 2014.

On the sidelines of the FAO Council’s meeting, Minister Phat met with some FAO officials and urged them to re-consider its project worth US$500,000 to control the spread of a particular shrimp disease in Vietnam.

He expressed hope that FAO will create conditions for Vietnamese experts to work for it as suggested by the FAO Director General at the APRC 31.

He added that Vietnam’s leading experts wish to work in the fields of rice production, seafood and rural development.