Russia, USA Sign Farming Partnership Memo

Alexei Gordeyev, Russia's Minister of Agriculture and Deputy Prime Minister, and Ann Veneman, US Secretary of Agriculture, met at the Russian Embassy in Washington yesterday to sign a Russo-US memorandum of mutual understanding on agricultural partnership.

The memo is coming up as an essential instrument to establish permanent arrangements for further farming links, Mr. Gordeyev said at the signing ceremony.

Three ad hoc teams will be set up in compliance with the memo - for agricultural policies, enterprise and investment; research, education and R&D implementation; and for sustained agricultural development and social progress in rural localities.

The US Administration welcomes progress in that field, and expects the memorandum to promote bilateral trade, said Miss Veneman. She highlighted the importance of Russian-US academic exchanges, in particular, in biotechnologies, an extremely promising field of science.

The memorandum emphasises the signatory countries' dedication to market-oriented agricultural policies and further efforts for the progress of open and equal bilateral commerce in the farm market.

The Parties pledge to extend bilateral farm produce trade and investment in the agrarian sector, measures to upgrade agricultural enterprise included.