At the invitation of the Department of Agriculture of the Philippines, a Myanmar delegation led by Union Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation U Min Naung attended the 47th ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry (AMAF) Meeting and related meetings, held in Pasay City, Metro Manila, the Philippines, from 1 to 3 October.
The meetings were attended by the agriculture and forestry ministers and senior officials from the 10 ASEAN member states, as well as Timor-Leste. Ministers and representatives from ASEAN’s three dialogue partners: the People’s Republic of China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea, together with representatives from the ASEAN Secretariat, also participated.
At the 47th ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry (AMAF) Meeting held on 1 October, the Union Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation, who had served as Chair of the 46th AMAF Meeting, delivered a speech in his capacity as the outgoing Chair.
He stated that, during Myanmar’s chairmanship, entrusted with full confidence by ASEAN and the ministry, 16 processes relating to ASEAN food security, agricultural and forestry policies, guidelines, and best practices were successfully adopted and endorsed. He added that the ASEAN Food, Agriculture and Forestry Strategic Plan of Action (2026-2030) had been thoroughly discussed and would be approved at this year’s meeting. He also highlighted the significant progress achieved in sectoral cooperation.
The Union Minister expressed appreciation to China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea for their support in addressing emergencies and strengthening food security during 2024–2025. With full confidence in the leadership of the Philippines, which will assume the chairmanship, he urged all ASEAN member states’ representatives to continue working together in a spirit of unity and cooperation. Then, the chairmanship was formally handed over to the Philippines.
Subsequently, the meeting continued with discussions on the key outcomes of the 46th ASEAN Summit and the 57th ASEAN Economic Ministers’ Meeting held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The discussions also covered the implementation status of initiatives under the ASEAN Food, Agriculture and Forestry Cooperation Policy Framework; the Declaration of ASEAN Leaders on Food, Agriculture and Forestry with a vision towards 2045; the ASEAN Framework; the ASEAN Food, Agriculture and Forestry Strategic Plan of Action (2026–2030); and forthcoming collaborative programmes with international organizations. The progress made in these areas was reviewed, and ASEAN member states reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation in the fields of food, agriculture and forestry.
The meeting also endorsed 23 ASEAN food, agriculture and forestry-related projects carried out during 2024-2025 and recorded an additional eight initiatives. It further approved the Joint Statement of the 47th ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry (AMAF) Meeting before formally concluding the session.
The 25th ASEAN Plus Three Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry Meeting was held at 9 am local time on 2 October. The meeting discussed progress in areas relating to the ASEAN Plus Three Cooperation Strategy on Food, Agriculture and Forestry (2016-2025), the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve Agreement, and the ASEAN Food Security Information System, among others.
The ministers also reviewed achievements in programmes on sustainable forest management, water resources development, crop insurance, strengthening agri-food value chains, and controlling transboundary animal and plant pests and diseases.
In addition, the meeting endorsed the ASEAN Plus Three Cooperation Strategy on Food, Agriculture and Forestry (2026–2035) as a key framework for future collaboration. It then adopted the Joint Statement of the 25th ASEAN Plus Three Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry Meeting and concluded successfully.
In the afternoon, the 2nd ASEAN-Japan Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry Meeting was held. The meeting discussed progress made under the ASEAN-Japan Midori Cooperation Initiative, which is currently being implemented.
The ministers pledged to strengthen cooperation in promoting resilient and sustainable agriculture and food systems through agricultural innovation.
Subsequently, the meeting adopted the Joint Statement of the 2nd ASEAN–Japan Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry Meeting.
MNA/KZL
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