OREANDA-NEWS. April 14, 2015. The International Conference "Rural and Agricultural Advisory Systems (RAAS): Best Practices and Experiences in the Eastern Partnership" will bring together high-level rural policy-makers and experts of agricultural advisory systems from the European Union and Eastern Partnership States.

Eastern Partnership is the priority of Latvian foreign policy, and Latvia has accumulated a significant competence in reform making which can be useful in building relations with Eastern neighbours of the EU. Conference will address prerequisites and analyse examples of an effective performance of rural and agricultural advisory system as well as discuss the opportunities for cooperation between EU Member States and Eastern Partnership States.

Conference will take place on Wednesday, 15 May at the Bellevue Park Hotel Riga, 1 Slokas iela, at 9.00 a.m. The conference will be opened by J?nis D?klavs, the Minister for Agriculture of Latvia and M?rti?? Cimmermanis, the Chairman of the Board of Latvian Rural Consulting and Education Centre.

The morning session will be dedicated to the panel discussions by ministers of Eastern Partnership States on the role of rural advisory systems in sustainable rural development. In the afternoon the experts from the International Academy of Rural Advisors (IALB), European Agricultural and Rural Development Advisers Association (EUFRAS), from Latvia, Denmark, Poland, Germany, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova will share their experience in operation of the advisory system. Participants from Belgium, Bulgaria, Estonia, Finland, France and Lithuania will take part in the conference, too. Representatives of mass media will also participate in the conference. For more information please visit the media programme.

On Thursday, 16 April at 9:00 a.m. media representatives are invited to press briefing on the conference results and the further collaboration in the area of rural advisory. The press briefing will take place at the Ministry of Agriculture, on 23rd floor (hall), 2 Republikas laukums, Riga.

The Ministers for Agriculture from Latvia, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine will take part in the press briefing.

The working languages of the conference and press briefing will be Latvian, English and Russian; interpretation will be provided.

Registration for the conference and press briefing until 14 April, 17:00 p.m.; please, contact Kristine R?na, e-mail: kristine.rina@zm.gov.lv, phone +371 26547332.