IOFS AND TIKA TO COOPERATE IN THE FRAMEWORKS OF “IOFS YEAR OF AFRICA” AND “AFGHANISTAN FOOD SECURITY PROGRAM”  

His Excellency Mr. Yerlan A. Baidaulet, the Director General of the Islamic Organization of Food Security (IOFS), received in his Office the delegation of Turkish Coordination and Cooperation Agency (TIKA) led by their Coordinator in Nur-Sultan, Republic of Kazakhstan, Mr. Hüseyin Hükmet Özdenoğlu, to exchange views on issues of mutual interest, particularly relevant joint activities that are to be included in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) of bilateral institutional cooperation to be soon signed.

After all necessary deliberations, the two sides agreed that priority initiatives are to be convened with focus on African Sub-Saharan OIC Member States within the celebration of 2022 as “IOFS Year of Africa”, along with specific projects within the Afghanistan Food Security Program (AFSP), as mandated by 17^th Extraordinary Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers on the Situation in Afghanistan, held on 19 December 2021 in Islamabad, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

In fact, the first project that may be included in IOFS-TIKA bilateral cooperation is the holding of “Gene Bank Management and Conservation of Genetic Resources Training”, expected to be held on 26-30 September 2022 in Ankara, Republic of Türkiye, under the auspices of the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, and intended to benefit 12 African and Asian genetic resources experts.

It should be mentioned here that IOFS Director General was accompanied by Dr. Ismail Abdelhamid, Director of Programmes & Projects Office, Mr. Abdula Manafi Mutualo, Senior Liaison Officer, Mr. Sofian Ben Mouaddeb, Senior Manager at the Cooperation & Protocol Office, and two Program Managers, Mr. Bakytzhan Arystanbek and Ms. Makpal Bulatova, while TIKA Kazakhstan Coordinator was assisted by his Deputy Mr. Ihsan Ergen and two Assistants.

With nothing further, the two sides decided also to continue consultations remotely and/or in-person towards facilitating the best modality to implement the MoU to be soon signed so as to strengthen bilateral coordination within the agreed areas of common interest.