India Strengthens Agricultural Cooperation with ASEAN Partners
On September 9, 2026, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan held three separate bilateral meetings with agricultural ministers from Malaysia, Timor-Leste, and Myanmar on the sidelines of the 9th ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture and Forestry (9th AIMMAF) in New Delhi. The meetings were organized by the Department of Agricultural Research (DARE) and Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) during September 8-9, 2026.
India-Malaysia Meeting
Shri Chouhan met with H.E. Mr. Mohamed Bin Sabu, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security of Malaysia. Both ministers emphasized the importance of sharing knowledge, expertise, and best practices, expressing interest in strengthening collaboration through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that would provide an institutional framework for cooperation in agriculture and allied sectors. They specifically noted that bilateral issues relating to germplasm exchange, trade, and market access could be addressed through mutual cooperation to strengthen the close partnership between the two countries.
India-Timor-Leste Meeting
Shri Chouhan met with H.E. Mr. Marcos Da Cruz, Minister of Ministry of Agriculture Livestock, Fisheries and Forestry of Timor-Leste. The Timor-Leste minister expressed interest in building strong institutional mechanisms to address various agricultural challenges and ensure food security for the nation. Minister Chouhan reiterated India's commitment to share its best practices to support Timor-Leste in advancing their agriculture research and innovation capabilities through exchange of scientists and experts, and human resource development. Timor-Leste specifically requested that India consider deputing a team of technical and scientific experts to assess ground-level challenges and provide technical recommendations in agriculture, forestry, livestock, and aquaculture.
India-Myanmar Meeting
Shri Chouhan met with H.E. Mr. Min Naung, Union Minister of Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation of Myanmar. Minister Chouhan highlighted the strong cultural and people-to-people connections between the two countries, noting that Myanmar shares approximately 1,600 KM of border with India. The ministers noted that a Memorandum of Understanding between the two countries is at an advanced stage of finalization for strengthening cooperation in agriculture and allied sectors. Both sides discussed trade potential between the two nations, noting that strong partnership in mutually identified areas would help enhance trade in agriculture-related goods such as pulses, cotton, dairy development, and agriculture education. Myanmar also suggested favorable investment opportunities in the country to focus on strengthening economic and agricultural ties.
Indian Delegation
All three meetings included the same Indian delegation: Dr M L Jat (Secretary DARE and DG ICAR), Shri Gyanendra Dev Tripathi (Additional Secretary DARE and DG ICAR), Shri A.K. Sahu (Joint Secretary (IC) DoAFW), all DDGs from ICAR, and the International Relations Team headed by Dr. Naveen P Singh (ADG IR ICAR).