Astana, Kazakhstan — 6 March 2026 — H.E. Ambassador Berik Aryn, Director General of the Islamic Organisation for Food Security (IOFS), today received H.E. Mr. Alkali Fanka Conteh, Ambassador of the Republic of The Gambia to the Republic of Türkiye and concurrent Ambassador to the Republic of Kazakhstan, at IOFS Headquarters in Astana.
The meeting provided an opportunity to review and strengthen cooperation between IOFS and The Gambia in the areas of food security and sustainable agriculture within the framework of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
Ambassador Conteh expressed The Gambia's keen interest in developing cooperation with IOFS in the cassava value chain and processing, as well as in the rice sector, two commodities of strategic importance to the country's food security and agricultural development.
Ambassador Aryn briefed the visiting Ambassador on IOFS's flagship strategic initiatives, with particular attention to the Africa Food Security Initiative (AFSI), which positions Africa as one of the priority region for IOFS action. He reaffirmed the Organisation's full readiness to translate the shared ambitions into tangible outcomes through structured, results-oriented cooperation with Gambian institutions.
The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to intensify bilateral engagement and to encourage active participation of Gambian public and private stakeholders in IOFS programmes, technical platforms, and capacity-building initiatives.
