The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Framework Programme for the Republic of Macedonia 2013-2015 was signed at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Supply on Thursday.

Minister Ljupco Dimovski, UN Resident Coordinator Deirdre Boyd, and FAO representative Tony Alonzi signed the programme, which defines the priority projects supported by FAO in the coming three-year period. Besides national projects, the programme envisages implementation of projects in regional context.

Several priority areas of support have been identified, such as rural development, agriculture competitiveness, forestry, phytosanitary policy and agriculture inspection, with designated projects to have direct effect on increase of the sector's competitiveness, food quality and safety, sustainable resource management, as well as strengthening of institutional capacities, the Agriculture Ministry said in a press release.