India and Bhutan strengthen food security cooperation with bilateral agreement
One of the key areas addressed during the meeting was capacity building initiatives and technical cooperation, aimed at empowering BFDA officials with the skills and knowledge required to maintain food safety standards. FSSAI CEO G. Kamala Vardhana Rao highlighted the significance of the partnership, saying, “Today's meeting marks an important development in our partnership with Bhutan in the area of food safety and trade facilitation. The agreement and the outcome of our discussions are set to streamline trade processes and enhance food safety standards.”
Rao said, “This collaboration highlights our shared commitment to maintaining the highest quality standards for consumers. By working together with BFDA, we are building a strong and effective food safety framework that will serve the interests of both countries.” BFDA Director Gyem Bidha acknowledged FSSAI's leadership in setting global food safety standards and emphasized the importance of the agreement in facilitating safe food trade between India and Bhutan.
“This bilateral meeting provided an opportunity to discuss implementation challenges while exporting to India and areas of technical cooperation and capacity building to effectively implement the agreement at the ground level,” he said. The meeting was attended by senior officials from both countries. From the Bhutanese side, the delegation included BFDA Director Gyem Bidha as well as senior officials from the Food Quality and Safety Division of BFDA. From the Indian side, senior officials from the Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and FSSAI were present. Tashi Peldon, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Royal Bhutanese Embassy in New Delhi was also present. (ANI)
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