19th AARDO Conference Concludes With New Ad Hoc Committee Formed

KUALA LUMPUR, March 5 (Bernama) – The 19th African-Asian Rural Development Organisation (AARDO) Conference concluded on Saturday with the member countries agreeing to set up an ad hoc committee. The committee is to look into matters related to financial and technical work programmes to enhance AARDO’s visibility and effectiveness. The conference was attended by 33 member countries and hosted by Malaysia for the third time since its inception in 1962. This year’s conference also saw the handing-over of the AARDO presidency by Pradeep Roopun, Minister of Social Integration and Economic Empowerment of Mauritius, who was represented by the island republic’s High Commissioner to India, Jagdishwar Goburdhun, to Malaysia’s Rural and Regional Development Minister, Ismail Sabri Yaacob, as the new president. “Over the past two days, we have had many comprehensive and valuable discussions on strengthening and advancing our organisation,” said Ismail Sabri, in his closing speech. This term is the third time that Malaysia is entrusted with the presidential post for the current triennium 2018–2020. The next AARDO conference will be held in an African country, either Zambia or Ghana, to discuss common problems and exchange ideas on rural and agricultural development of its member countries. -- BERNAMA