Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar had meetings with the Ministers of America, United Kingdom, Japan, Italy, and the European Union Commissioner during the G-20 meeting in Hyderabad. He talked about increasing cooperation with these countries to develop the agriculture sector. Tomar mentioned India’s Shri Anna initiative and wanted to strengthen India’s relationship with the European Union.
During his meeting with US Minister Small, Tomar said that India and the US have a Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership that covers almost all sectors. He added that agriculture is a focus area for India as it is the source of livelihood for many farmers and their families. India has taken several initiatives to make agriculture sustainable and improve farmers’ income and productivity. He believes that America’s advanced technology in agriculture can benefit India, and they can collaborate on precision farming, drone technology, water and soil sensor technology, and tracking technology.
Tomar met with UK’s counterpart Therese Coffee and said that India and the UK are working closely on climate issues through various mechanisms. They signed two MoUs for cooperation in agricultural research, and they are considering expanding the scope of cooperation to other areas of agriculture.
Tomar also met with Japanese Minister Tetsuro Nomura and said that the India-Japan partnership is significant in the Indo-Pacific region. Climate change initiatives are an integral part of their global partnership, and he appreciates Japan’s participation in India-led international mechanisms. Similarly, with Italian Minister Francesco Lollobrigida, Tomar said that India values its friendly relations with Italy and wants to work with them to strengthen these relations.
Lastly, Tomar met with EU Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski and said that the India-EU relationship is important for India politically, strategically, and economically. Both countries are guided by democratic politics and free market economic principles, making them ideally suited for a mutually beneficial partnership.
