The Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Consultative Meeting on Food Security started on Monday at the State Palace to discuss and share views on a broad scope of issues concerning food safety. The main objective of the meeting is to discuss solutions for improving food supply among ASEM member countries by intensifying agricultural production, providing support for state and private sector cooperation, and efficiently regulating national and regional policy on food security. The participants are also discussing solutions for addressing food supply insecurity, exchanging views on measures for maintaining sustainable food security levels. The consultative meeting is being held under three sub-meetings on food production, food security, and nutrition to tackle issues concerning food supply in the regions, food product sales, and reducing technical obstacles in food transportation and logistics. The attendees are presenting speeches on organic food production and certification, food market trends, future trends of genetically modified food products, quarantine of animal and plant products and transboundary animal diseases, and sharing views on the proper use of food nutrition. Permanent Representative of the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization to Mongolia Kevin Gallaher said, “This is the most important meeting to discuss food security of Asia and Europe. The world is touching upon the issue on genetically modified food. Asian and European countries will now integrate requirements and standards, and discuss stricter policy on food safety, publishing recommendations. I hope that this will bring some definite results.” State Secretary of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture N.Ariunbold said that under the consultative meeting, Mongolia is introducing its agriculture, especially the conditions of grazing livestock to international organizations. “Even though Mongolia produces ecologic products, we don’t have possibilities for exporting them on the international market. This is related to international regulations on food security. There are many issues that need to be resolved under these regulations,” N.Ariunbold said. “We will study requirements and standards of foreign countries and introduce the specifics of food security level of Mongolia’s grazing livestock. After introducing Mongolia’s animal husbandry at the consultative meeting, we hope that we will be able to export agricultural products on the global market, meeting food security standards. We need to fully utilize this opportunity,” N.Ariunbold noted. Suggestions and conclusions from the meeting will be published as recommendations to help countries resolve food security issues. The Ministry of Food and Agriculture reported that governmental and nongovernmental representatives from 17 ASEM member countries, delegates from embassies and consulates to Mongolia, and representatives from other international organizations are taking part in the two-day meeting.