PRESS RELEASES

The 36th ASEAN Ministers Meeting on Agriculture and Forestry (AMAF) and the 14th AMAF Plus Three

1 October 2014

    The 36th ASEAN Ministers Meeting on Agriculture and Forestry (AMAF) was held on 23 September, 2014, in Nay Pyi Taw, the Republic of the Union of Myanmar. The Japan’s delegation headed by H.E. Mr. Koya Nishikawa, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) was invited to the meeting. From the ASEAN side, H.E. U Myint Hlaing, as the chair of AMAF, Union Minister, Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, Myanmar, and other ASEAN Ministers of Agriculture attended. In the meeting, Mr. Nishikawa explained Japan’s initiative to promote public-private partnership to establish Food Value Chain (FVC) through production, processing, distribution, and consumption in the ASEAN region. ASEAN member states expressed their support for the initiative, and it was specified in the Joint Press Statement of the meeting.

    On 24, AMAF Plus Three (AMAF+3;ASEAN+China, Japan and Korea) was successively held, and the minsters endorsed the progress of cooperation under the ASEAN plus three framework, including ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR), ASEAN Food Security Information System (AFSIS), and other cooperation activities. Mr. Nishikawa expressed Japan would make a continuous contribution to agricultural development and food security in the ASEAN region, and he also expressed Japan’s strong intent to establish FVC in the region. Moreover, Mr. Nishikawa requested the ministers to relax or abolish the import restrictions of Japanese foods based on scientific evidence.

    On 23, Mr. Nishikawa hosted the 1st High-Level Meeting Japan-Myanmar Cooperation Dialogue for the Development of Myanmar’s Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries and Foods with a co-chair of H.E. U Myint Hlaing, Union Minister of Myanmar. The meeting was attended by representatives of Japan’s 14 companies and organizations, JICA, JETRO and H.E. Mr. Higuchi, ambassador of Japan to Myanmar. The two ministers agreed that both Japan and Myanmar would commence exploring concrete actions to establish FVC in Myanmar, and signed to the Record of Discussion.

For more information, please refer to the following links:
Joint Press Statement of the 36th AMAF
Joint Press Statement of the 14th AMAF+3