India, Lithuania agree to intensify agricultural cooperation

Source: PIB, Government of India

Minister of State for Agriculture Mohanbhai Kundaria held bilateral talks in Vilnius with Lithuanian vice Minister for Agriculture Vilius Martusevičius. In delegation level talks on October 01, both sides agreed that there was significant potential for intensifying bilateral cooperation in agriculture, particularly in sectors like food and dairy processing. Kundaria was accompanied by Ambassador Ajay Bisaria, First Secretary Meena, Honorary Consul, Wing Commander Rajinder Chaudhary and senior officers of India’s Ministry of Agriculture. Heads of Departments of the Agriculture Ministry of Lithuania attended the meeting from Lithuanian side. Kundaria briefed the Lithuanian side on the latest agricultural initiatives in India including soil health cards to be given to 140 million farmers and special irrigation schemes. The two sides agreed to collaborate in research and agricultural technology. It was agreed that a Lithuanian delegation comprising of senior executives of the Ministry, scientists and business representatives would visit India to take forward the conversations. A bilateral agreement on agricultural cooperation will also be signed during the visit. The bilateral meeting was preceded by a visit by the Indian delegation to Kaunas Agricultural University where they were shown research facilities available for Lithuanian and foreign students in the well-equipped laboratories of the University. The Rector of the University offered to share research with Indian agriculture research institutes in fields of the soil-tests, organic and digital farming. The Indian delegation also met with agricultural enterprises in Kaunas who showed willingness to work with Indian companies under Make in India scheme. Ambassador Ajay Bisaria highlighted the favorable factors available in India for manufacturing companies under the ‘Make-in-India’ campaign. Ambassador invited Lithuanian companies as partners in India’s new economic growth story, as India gears up for a phase of active and focused engagement with Central Europe.