Vice Minister Zhang Zhili Attends Meeting of SCO Ministers of Agriculture

The 11th Meeting of Ministers of Agriculture of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Member States was held in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, on April 15. Zhang Zhili, Vice Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, led a delegation to the meeting and delivered remarks.

Vice Minister Zhang noted that in recent years, with the concerted efforts of SCO member states, agriculture in the region has achieved rapid development, the cross-border flow of agro-products has become increasingly convenient, and agro-trade has grown more vibrant. He said China stands ready to work with other member states to strengthen policy dialogue on agriculture, promote the sharing of development philosophies and experience, steadily increase agro-trade and investment, expand trade in agricultural services, enhance cooperation in agricultural S&T and cultivate high-quality agricultural professionals with expertise in farming, technology, and management, so as to continue achieving new results in SCO agricultural cooperation.

The meeting reviewed and adopted documents including the Plan of Action for the Implementation of the Program for the Development of Cooperation in the Field of Crop Breeding and Seed Production Among the SCO Member States, and the Regulations for the Expert Group on Cooperation in the Field of Crop Breeding and Seed Production Within the Framework of the SCO Member States' Permanent Expert Working Group on Agriculture. During the meeting, Vice Minister Zhang invited Central Asian countries to attend the 2026 Forum on Poverty Reduction and Development and the inauguration ceremony of the Alliance for Poverty Reduction and Development, which will be held in Beijing in May. The invitation was met with a positive response. Vice Minister Zhang also held bilateral talks with Erlist Akunbekov, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic and Minister of Water Resources, Agriculture and Processing Industry, during which the two sides exchanged views on advancing practical cooperation. In addition, Vice Minister Zhang also visited local production enterprises and Kyrgyz National Agrarian University.