Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran – 09 March 2025 – Within the Official Visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Director General of the Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS), His Excellency Ambassador Berik Aryn, visited headquarters in Tehran of two important entities, theEconomic Cooperation Organization (ECO) and the Agricultural Research, Education, and Extension Organization (AREEO) to meet the respective leadership to exchange views on ways and means to strengthen the bilateral cooperation to advance the agendas of food security and agricultural development for the benefit of the Member States.
At the ECO Secretariat, the Director General was received by its Secretary General, H.E. Ambassador Dr. Asad M. Khan, with whom agreed to leverage their combined expertise and resources to address the pressing challenges facing their common Member States, from climate change to water management in agriculture. The meeting was followed by a signature of a Memorandum of Understanding to institutionalize bilateral cooperation and aimed at strengthening food security, promoting sustainable agricultural practices, and fostering economic development across common Member States. As a result of the document signed, the two Organizations will now establish joint working groups to develop and finalize a Joint Plan of Action that will serve as the MoU’s implementation mechanism.
Separately, H.E. Mr. Golamreza Golmohammadi, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Head of AREEO, welcomed the Director General to brief him on matters related to areas of intervention of AREEO and how those could be beneficial to the mission and vision of the IOFS. Such intention was further highlighted at an extended meeting that was also attended by severalAREEO high-level officials and researchers. Therein, the host showed its readiness to support the process of establishing the IOFS Gene Bank in Kazakhstan, as well as the offer of hosting a network of heads of different agrarian institutes of the Member States, which could serve to operationalize the establishment of the Association of Agriculture Academies (AAA). Before the end of the meeting, the Director General signed the “AREEO Memory Book” to express IOFS’s appreciation for the warm welcome and fruitful discussions.
Additionally, the Director General briefed his respective hosts on the preparations of the IOFS 7th General Assembly to be hosted by the Republic of Kazakhstan on 01-02 July 2025 in Astana, to which all Member States and concerned partners would be dully invited to attend and contribute for its successful holding once all necessary arrangements are finalized.
