Deputy Foreign Minister Kyriakos Gerontopoulos accompanied President Karolos Papoulias on a state visit to Armenia for a deal on Greek-American cooperation in the agriculture sector. Mr. Gerontoopulos and Georgian Agriculture Minister Sergo Karapetyan signed a five-year agreement between the Rural Development & Food Ministry of Greece and the Agriculture Ministry of Armenia. It will be renewed automatically for successive five-year periods, unless one of the sides decides to withdraw in writing.

The agreement, signed in the presence of both countries’ presidents, provides for cooperation in a number of sectors, including plant production, stock reproduction and feed, fishing and fish farming, veterinary issues, post-harvest handling and industrial processing of foods, including marketing. It also includes cooperation between Greece and Armenia on issues of systems for the provision of agricultural consultancy, agricultural research, systems for quality control, certification and vetting of agricultural products and food; education and training services; biotechnology; mechanization of agriculture; land improvements; and agricultural infrastructure know-how.

The cooperation will be carried out through 1) exchange of scientific and technical information and documents, 2) exchange of visits of experts and advisors, 3) organization of educational programmes, seminars, conferences, exhibitions and meetings in both countries, 4) trilateral cooperation with third countries, the European Union, and international services for funding economic development, 5) encouragement of joint venture activities between the cooperative and private sectors of both countries in the agricultural sector, 6) exchange of information and experience regarding scientific research developments.