Mechanisms 3rd Trilateral Agricultural Ministers’ Meeting in Beijing, China 2018.11.10
3rd Trilateral Agricultural Ministers’ Meeting (TAMM) was held in Beijing, China on November 10, 2018. The meeting was chaired by Mr. HAN Changfu, Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, and attended by Mr. YOSHIKAWA Takamori, Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan, and Mr. LEE Gae-ho, Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs of ROK. TCS delegation headed by Deputy Secretary-General Ms. HAN Mei, attended the meeting as an observer. 

At the meeting, the three ministers introduced latest domestic policies and practices on agricultural and rural development like rural revitalization and green agriculture. Meanwhile, the three ministers acknowledged common challenges such as small-scale farming, arable land and aging population in rural areas. The three ministers believed that enhancing agricultural cooperation among the three countries would leverage each country’s unique advantages to facilitate exchanging of best development experiences and sharing of common development opportunities. 

DSG HAN Mei made two suggestions regarding TCS’ future contribution to TAMM and trilateral agricultural cooperation in her remark. She stated that TCS would strongly support the three countries and promote cooperation in the TAMM framework; and that TCS would actively follow up on the agreements reached at the Ministers’ Meeting through its experience in people-to-people exchange, joint research, etc. Her suggestions were welcomed by the three ministers. 

At the end of the meeting, the three ministers signed the Joint Communique which addressed decision on future cooperation in the following: mutual learning in rural revitalization, green agricultural development, cooperation on food security and nutrition, animal and plant disease control and livestock industries, as well as strengthening regional cooperation in agriculture under various global and multilateral frameworks. The three parties appreciated TCS’ intensive efforts dedicated to the TAMM and welcomed TCS’ broader participation in and expected TCS’ active support to the mechanism. The meeting also approved the Memorandum of Cooperation on Agricultural Cooperation in Rural Revitalization. 

The Trilateral Agricultural Ministers’ Meeting was initiated in 2012 and was held twice in May 2012 in ROK and September 2015 in Japan, respectively. The fourth TAMM will be held in ROK.