The Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine and the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Latvia have signed a protocol on mutually beneficial cooperation in the fields of agriculture, food safety and rural development.
The document, based on a previously concluded Memorandum of Understanding between the two countries, was signed by Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture Denys Bashlyk and Latvia’s State Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture Girts Krumins.
Key points of the protocol:
– Strengthening institutional cooperation and knowledge exchange to support Ukraine’s EU accession process in agriculture and fisheries;
– Promoting technical consultations, capacity building, and expert-level interaction in areas such as aligning Ukrainian legislation with EU law, rural development, digitalisation and sustainable resource management;
– Supporting joint initiatives for Ukraine’s post-war recovery, particularly in rebuilding agricultural infrastructure, improving food systems and aiding farmers in implementing climate resilience measures.
– Exploring opportunities for collaboration under EU-funded development programmes and international initiatives, including trilateral partnerships.
During the meeting, the parties discussed the possibility of Ukraine’s involvement in developing the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy as an observer, including participation in the EU Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development and other advisory bodies.
Denys Bashlyk thanked Latvia for its consistent support and requested continued cooperation in fisheries, including digitalisation, sector capacity building and scientific collaboration.
“The support of our Latvian colleagues in digitalisation, precision farming, automated farm management, and IT solutions is incredibly valuable to us. We view Latvia’s agricultural model as a benchmark for Ukraine,” said Denys Bashlyk.
The parties also identified other areas for potential cooperation, including the establishment of nurseries and seed centres, development of IT technologies, and partnership in implementing the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). (Government portal)