YEREVAN. – Agriculture Minister of Armenia, Ignati Arakelyan, on Monday met with a delegation from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

The delegation is in Armenia to oversee the Infrastructure and Rural Finance Support Programme (IRFSP), the Ministry of Agriculture informed Armenian News-NEWS.am. The said delegation is led by Rami Abu Salman, IRFSP Country Programme Manager for Armenia.

Salman presented the course of the IRFSP, whose objective is to improve the socioeconomic condition of the population of the selected rural areas. The head of delegation noted with satisfaction that, though still very little time has passed since the launch of this program in Armenia, it already can be considered a success.

He stressed that IFAD stands ready to expand cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture of Armenia, and develop and implement new programs in the country. Salman noted, however, that these programs need to be consistent with the current priorities and key challenges of the agriculture sector.

In this context, the Armenian agriculture minister, in turn, underscored several matters. Arakelyan also highlighted the need for management and efficient use of the water resources of Armenia.