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Precious Manomano
Herald Reporter

Representatives from 32 countries from across the world including Zimbabwe are meeting in Tashkent, Uzbekistan for a two-day forum for High-Level Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) on Food Security and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The forum, which started today and ends tomorrow, is being jointly hosted by the government of Uzbekistan and jointly with the Food and Agriculture Organisation ( FAO).

Zimbabwe is being represented by Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Deputy Minister Vangelis Haritatos.

Deputy Minister Vangelis Haritatos

The forum seeks to give key stakeholders in LLDCs and supporting international institutions a platform to share experiences, discuss common challenges with emphasis on climate change, and explore collaborative solutions and partnerships.

The deputy minister said there is a need to push for protection and policies that will help landlocked developing countries to grow.

“We need to learn from each other and stock-taking is very crucial to see exactly where we are and what needs to be done so that we learn from best practices,” he said.

“There are challenges that come with being landlocked so we can learn from each other and see how we can fight challenges. Climate change has caused massive problems for our countries.”

Cde Haritatos said in Zimbabwe his ministry wants to ensure that enough food is produced to ensure food security.

The forum will run under the following thematic sessions: Agriculture Trade Facilitation in LLDCs through WTO Accession countries, Investment Opportunities in Agriculture, Fostering Partnerships with Private Sector for Agricultural Marketability, Food Security and Nutrition,

Enabling environment for sustainable Agrifood Systems Transformation focusing on climate change and technological innovations.