October 4, 2024
VIENTIANE – The Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs of the Republic of Korea (ROK) met with Laos’ Minister of Agriculture and Forestry in Sejong, South Korea, on Monday for talks on cooperation between Korea and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), as well as ROK-Laos cooperation.
During their meeting, the Korean minister, Song Miryung, and the Lao minister, Dr Linkham Douangsavanh, amended a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on agricultural cooperation between their two ministries.
As the chair of ASEAN, Laos has been playing a pivotal role in cooperation in the ASEAN region under the theme ‘Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience’. With the year 2024 marking the 35th anniversary of AEAN-ROK dialogue relations, the partnership between the two countries is expected to advance to the highest level.
Dr Linkham asked for support from Korea’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, saying “The key to agricultural cooperation between the Republic of Korea and ASEAN lies in the Mekong River. In Laos, many of the economically-active population are engaging in agriculture. Therefore, development of the agriculture sector is important.”
The Mekong runs through Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia among ASEAN member states.
Minister Song said “The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs of the Republic of Korea has contributed to improvement in Laos’ agricultural productivity through diverse official development assistance programmes such as the building of irrigation facilities, transfer of crop cultivation know-how, etc. This has also served as an opportunity for South Korea’s agricultural technologies, equipment and machinery to enter the Lao market.”
“The amendment to the MOU between Laos and South Korea expands the range of bilateral cooperation to include smart farming, seeds, etc. Accordingly, significant outcomes from this expanded cooperation are highly expected,” he added.
Minister Song also said the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs will actively participate in multilateral cooperation with ASEAN and contribute to enhancing food security in the region.