(VNA) – ASEAN ministers of agriculture and forestry and their counterparts from China, Japan and the Republic of Korea convened the 12^th meeting in Vientiane, Laos on Friday with more than 150 participants attending.

Heads of ASEAN+3 delegations take picture with Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong (photo: Hoang Chuong/Vietnam+)

A Vietnamese delegation led by Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Bui Ba Bong attended the 12th ASEAN +3 Ministers’ Meeting on Agriculture and Forestry (AMAF+3). In his opening speech, Lao Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong said food shortage, poverty, natural disaster, climate change, food security, and epidemics remain challenges to the world. Last year, ASEAN’s economy has slightly recovered so its member countries should have appropriate policies and regulations for themselves and effective cooperation mechanism to ensure the bloc’s sustainable economic development. ASEAN should have long-term measures to manage its natural resources, environment, and food security. Prime Minister Thammavong said Lao targets to comprehensively develop agriculture, forestry, and fishery. The country aims to pursue an environmentally friendly agricultural production and industrialize its spearhead sectors to ensure food security, improve capacity and product quality through high technology application. Thammavong expressed his belief that the 12^th AMAF + 3 will enhance unity and power of ASEAN.