On 25 July 2022, Tashkent hosted the seventh meeting of the SCO Ministers of Agriculture in the hybrid format.
Taking part in the meeting were Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare of the Pepublic of India Ritesh Chauhan, Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan Yerbol Karashukeyev, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People's Republic of China Ma Youxiang, Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan Askarbek Dzhanybekov, First Deputy of the Federal Ministrer of National Food Security and Research of the Islaamic Republic of Pakistan Zafar Hassan, Deputy Minister of Agriculture of the Russian Federation Sergei Levin, Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Tajikistan Karimzoda Sadi Gafor, Deputy Prime Minister — Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan Zhamshid Khodzhayev, SCO Deputy Secretary-General Yerik Ashimov, and Viorel Gutsu, Sub-regional Coordinator of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO).
During the meeting, the heads of delegations discussed the establishment of coordinated and effective cooperation in agriculture and food security between the SCO member states. It was noted that joint coordinated efforts are needed to counter current global challenges.
The heads of delegations spoke in favour of further implementing the 2010 SCO Agreement on Cooperation in Agriculture between the Governments of the SCO Member States and the 2021̶2025 Action Plan to implement it, as well as other SCO documents on agriculture.
The heads of delegations praised the agricultural cooperation between the SCO member states and shared their proposals on promising areas for interaction.
The participants approved the draft SCO Concept of Cooperation on Smart Agriculture and Agricultural Innovations. According to the document, the parties will develop cooperation in agriculture in various promising areas, including by organising joint research and academic exchanges, introducing agricultural innovations, and promoting exhibitions and fairs.
The heads of delegations praised the activities of the SCO Secretariat in cooperation with the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) to implement the 2020-2023 Joint Action Plan between the two organisations.
The meeting was held in a businesslike and constructive atmosphere, in the spirit of friendship, mutual trust and cooperation.