Officials from both countries and businessmen from Japan discussed the possibilities of deepening the exchange.
The Minister of Agroindustry of the Nation, Luis Miguel Etchevehere, highlighted "the privileged bilateral relationship that we are building with Japan, based on mutual trust, camaraderie and frank and constructive dialogue", when heading the first meeting of the Joint Committee for Cooperation in Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, Forestry and Agroindustrial Matters between Argentina and Japan, together with the Vice Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of the Asian country, Osamu Hashiramoto, and the ambassador, Noriteru Fukushima.
"Argentina has been implementing a policy of international reintegration, based on intelligent integration into the world and strengthening ties with all countries, both with our historical partners and with those countries with which there have been fewer ties," Etchevehere said to Japanese businessmen and officials from the agro-industrial sector.
Japan is a major importer of agro-industrial products, with approximately 80.000 billion dollars per year, of which our country has a share that exceeds 300 million dollars annually., making it the fifth largest Latin American exporter to Japan. Among the most traded products are: Shrimp and prawns, grain sorghum, soybean meal, grape juice (including must), honey and wine. There are also more than 100 Japanese companies operating in the country currently.
In this regard, the Vice Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Osamu Hashiramoto, expressed his hope that "the public and private sectors of both countries can come together to work together and grow. We know that there is a change in policy and Argentina has been developing an economy of openness towards the world and in response to that, today we have the presence of 20 Japanese companies that come to learn about the country with the possibility of investing."
During the meeting, topics related to coordination and alliance with Argentine producers of Japanese origin; the export of Japanese foods and the promotion of Japanese cuisine; matching with Japanese SMEs; the improvement of bilateral trade relations; the strengthening of investment and the business environment in Argentina and analytical technology in Food Safety and the Quality of Argentine Agricultural Products, among others, were discussed. In addition, The delegation will be visiting the La República ranch in the town of Luján and then the facilities of INTA Castelar and its Floriculture Institute..
It should be noted that the Joint Committee was implemented by the Memorandum of Cooperation signed in May 2017 by the Minister of Agroindustry and his Japanese counterpart, Argentina being the second Latin American country with which Japan establishes a joint committee specialized in agriculture, with the aim of strengthening public-private bilateral cooperation in this sector.
The meeting was attended by the Chief of Staff of the Ministry of Agroindustry, Santiago Del Solar; the Undersecretaries of Agricultural Markets and Food and Beverages, Jesús Silveyra and Mercedes Nimo; Foreign Ministry officials and representatives of the National Service for Agri-Food Health and Quality (Senasa), the National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA) and the Argentine Agency for Investment and International Trade.
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