South Sudan, Turkey sign deal to strengthen agriculture
The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and the Turkish government on Wednesday reached a deal to boost agricultural productivity in South Sudan.
The agreement is to enable the farmers to employ modern farming technology to fight food insecurity in the country.
This marks another project that the Turkish government is implementing in the country as part of its extended bilateral relations with South Sudan.
In a statement to the media issued at the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security premises, the Turkish Ambassador to South Sudan, Erdem Mutaf, promised his government’s continuous support to the country to realise sustainable peace.
“This agreement is very important because it will enable Turkey to support the South Sudanese agricultural sector as well as food security,” Amb. Mutaf said.
“Turkey strongly supports peace and stability in the country, and we are doing whatever we can within our capacity to support the implementation of the peace agreement in the country,” he said.
Amb. Mutaf made the remarks after a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which he signed on behalf of the Turkish government while the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Josephine Lagu, signed on behalf of the government of South Sudan on Wednesday.
The head of the Turkish mission said his government would soon implement several other projects as well as invest in South Sudan to boost the bilateral relations between Juba and Istanbul.
“We are planning to take a step to structure cooperation between Turkey and South Sudan covering many fields [such as] agriculture and food security, education, health, trade, capacity building, and investment, among others.”
“The MoU will be another step in this regard, and we believe in the bright future of South Sudan considering the great potential in agriculture, oil, and mines and also the agricultural potential of the convenient climate conditions as well as the River Nile,” said Mutaf.
Josephine commended the Turkish government for its unwavering support to the South Sudan government, adding that the country would greatly embrace the MoU through technology, and value addition to South Sudan’s agricultural production and marketing.
“Since 2008, the Turkish government has intensified its relationship with the African continent and the African government. “South Sudan has a historical relationship with Turkey that we do need to nurture and develop further for the mutual benefit of both countries and people, politically, economically, and culturally,” said Josephine.
During the 98th anniversary of the Turkish independence celebration in Juba last week, Amb. Mutaf pledged to continue strengthening bilateral relations to ensure both countries benefit from one another’s experience and expertise.
“Turkey and South Sudan enjoy a strong bilateral relationship.” The Turkish Embassy has been operating for the last 10 years without interruption. Turkish Embassy would cooperate closely with all officials, authorities, and various international institutions for the betterment of South Sudan,” Mutaf said in November last year.
