An agreement has been reached between Teagasc and its equivalent organisation in Colombia that will provide for cooperation between the South American country and Ireland on a number of issues.
A ‘memorandum of understanding’ was signed by Pat Breen, Minister of State for Trade, during an eight-day visit to South America, which will pave the way for Teagasc and Colombian organisation Agrosavia to develop closer ties.
The two bodies will cooperate on issues such as agricultural technology, agroforestry and food safety.
The memorandum was signed after a high-level meeting between Minister Breen and his counterparts in the Colombian government.
During Minister Breen’s visit to South America, he also visited Paraguay and Uruguay.
His visit came after the opening of a new Irish embassy in the capital city Bogota back in January, as well as the appointment of the first resident Irish ambassador to Colombia, Alison Milton.
Commenting on his visit, Minister Breen said: “Ireland-Colombia relations are at an all-time high. Marking the opening of Ireland’s new embassy in Bogota, my meeting with five Colombian government ministers covered a wide range of topics.”
He concluded his visit by speaking at a prominent Colombian university, delivering a keynote address entitled: “Ireland and Colombia forging a stronger relationship in a new post-Brexit era.”