On September 24 in Ashgabat, an introductory meeting was held to explain the provisions of the International Plant Protection Convention for specialists from the Ministry of Agriculture of Turkmenistan.  

The presenter at the consultation meeting was Arthur Shamilov, Agricultural Officer at the FAO Regional Office in Budapest, who is currently in the Turkmen capital. It was noted that the convention’s structure has its own institutional platform, which is continuously being improved; its implementation is closely linked to the work of the FAO and the principles of the United Nations. There is a Secretariat, and expert groups working on various thematic areas operate on a permanent basis. There is synergy with several international agreements, partly with the Convention on Biological Diversity.  

The speaker emphasized that each participating party agrees to comply with the provisions of the convention without compromising its work on other international treaties. In total, 13 national commitments are proposed, of which seven are mandatory: appointment of official persons, compilation of the list of quarantine-regulated organisms, reporting on pests, and outlining emergency actions.  

Membership provides relief in trade operations, communication, and international thematic partnerships; it also raises awareness about the migration and spread of harmful microorganisms from neighboring countries and the adoption of urgent joint measures to suppress their activity.  

To enhance biosafety, food independence, and protect farmers, the convention sets high standards for producers, exporters, and importers of agricultural products. However, ultimately, this serves to preserve human health, environmental ecology, and agricultural biodiversity.