PRESS RELEASE FROM THE FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZAITON OF THE UNITED NATIONS;
FAO congratulates Samoa’s new Prime Minister
20 August 2021, Apia, Samoa
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has officially congratulated Fiame Naomi Mata’afa, Samoa’s new Prime Minister and the first woman to be elected Prime Minster in the Pacific.
FAO’s Pacific Representative, Xiangjun Yao, presented the Prime Minister with a letter of congratulations from QU Dongyu, the Director-General of FAO, during a cordial meeting in the Prime Minister’s office at the FMFM building on Wednesday afternoon.
Prime Minister Fiame accepted the congratulatory note and expressed her gratitude towards FAO’s work in Samoa and around the world. She said her administration is committed to the development of agriculture and is keen for the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, and all relevant Ministries, to continue working with FAO for the benefit of Samoans.
FAO is one of two UN technical agencies with Pacific regional offices in Samoa. Yao expressed her organisation’s appreciation for Samoa’s hospitality and welcomed the Government’s commitment to strengthen FAO’s technical and programmatic presence in Samoa.
She believes the Samoan Government’s vision to prioritise agriculture development is critical in efforts to improve the lives of communities especially those in rural areas in Upolu, Apolima, Manono and Savai’i.
The Pacific Representative also extended the Prime Minister an invitation to attend and speak as one of the leaders during the SIDS Solutions Forum on 30th and 31st of August 2021, which she accepted.
Yao has already met with the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Schmidt.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is an intergovernmental organization that works in over 130 countries to help eliminate hunger and poverty. For more information about FAO and its programmes visit: www.fao.org
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FAO’s Pacific Representative, Xiangjun Yao and Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa. Photos: FAO.
