Malaysia has sought assistance from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations (UN) in developing more innovative solutions to develop agricultural activities adaptable to climate change.

Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu in a meeting held with FAO director-general Qu Dongyu in Rome, Italy on Wednesday, also called on the FAO Regional Office in Bangkok to provide technical assistance and stronger support for Malaysia which does not have a Country Office.

According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security on Facebook today, Mohamad is on a three-day official visit to Rome beginning Monday, which includes attending the 43rd FOA Conference themed 'Integrated Water Resources Management'.

Meanwhile, Qu encouraged applicants among Malaysian women to work at FAO, in line with the call for inclusivity and women empowerment.

"During the meeting, the two leaders took the opportunity to assess the progress of ongoing cooperation between Malaysia and FAO, and reaffirmed commitments to further advance the Malaysia-FAO relationship.

"Qu said that FAO was working closely with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security Malaysia and expressed hope of establishing a permanent FAO presence in Putrajaya," read the statement.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency