WAIPA and IOFS Discuss Modalities of Bilateral Cooperation

WAIPA and IOFS Discuss Modalities of Bilateral Cooperation
11 December 2021
As a follow-up to the high-level discussions between Their Excellencies Mr. Yerlan Baidaulet, Director General of the Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS) and Mr. İsmail Erşahin, the Executive Director of the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA), held on 25 November 2021 in Istanbul, Republic of Turkey, a joint technical meeting took place virtually on 10 December 2021 with aim of developing a bilateral working platform.
 
WAIPA was represented at the aforementioned meeting by Ms. Ezgi Guven, responsible for Administration & Finance, and Mr. Andreas Hora, responsible for International and Strategic Partnership, while Mr. Abdula Manafi Mutualo, Senior Liaison Officer, and Programme Managers Mr. Azamat Khamiyev, Mr. Bakytzhan Arystanbek, Mr. Ruslan Bekturganov attended the meeting on behalf of the IOFS.
 
The Meeting listened presentation by IOFS officials on several issues, including Grain Fund by Mr. Azamat, Sheep Farming Fund and Food Security Good Governance by Mr. Bakytzhan, IOFS Relationship with Investment Promotion Agencies (IPAs) by Mr. Ruslan, and the initiatives that may be jointly held as part of “2022 IOFS Year for Africa” by Mr. Manafi. The WAIPA on their side, through Mr. Adreas, welcomed the presentations and conveyed that majority of IPAs that IOFS was working with were also part of the vast network they have, and mentioned the important work they are doing with Islamic Development Bank and other UN Agencies active in the field of investment promotion.
 
At the end, the Meeting agreed that the IOFS Team would present an initial draft of a “Concept Note of Joint Priority Areas for IOFS-WAIPA Bilateral Cooperation” before the end of December 2021 and that the document would be enriched online and finalized on another virtual meeting in the last week of January 2022.
 
It should be mentioned here that the focus of the Meeting was to initiate the establishment an institutionalized cooperation to serve common Member States within the IOFS Strategic Framework Pillar that has to do with Private Sector Driven Agro-Food Trade and Investment Promotion.