The Food Safety Committee of Uzbekistan announced plans to expand practical interaction between Uzbekistan and Japan in the areas of livestock development, animal health, and food safety assurance.
The discussion took place during a meeting between Azizbek Urunov, Chairman of the Food Safety Committee, and a delegation from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), led by its office head in Uzbekistan, Mamoru Sakai.
One of the central issues was the implementation of joint Uzbek-Japanese projects. Specifically, JICA is involved in a project called 'Livestock Development and Animal Health Improvement' in Uzbekistan. This initiative covers Karakalpakstan and all regions of Uzbekistan, engaging farmers and entrepreneurs from the livestock industry.
The project provides financial support to the sector through a two-stage credit mechanism. Furthermore, it aims to enhance the professional level of specialists and research institutions involved in livestock development.
Another aspect of the project is the modernization of diagnostic infrastructure. It is planned to equip diagnostic centers with modern equipment, which should increase their capacity to solve animal health-related problems.
The parties also discussed the necessity of signing a tripartite agreement to begin project financing and considered accelerating bilateral technical cooperation.
The Food Safety Committee emphasized the importance of international partnership for integrating modern methods, best practices, and technologies into Uzbekistan's national food safety system. Special attention is paid to applying scientific achievements in the production and preparation of safe food products, as well as further developing the sector in accordance with international standards.