Pakistan, Turkiye to cooperate on foot-and-mouth disease control

Islamabad: Pakistan has reached out to Turkey for technical assistance in controlling foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and producing vaccines, with a Turkish expert team set to visit Pakistan soon to explore potential collaborations. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has opted to seek Turkey's technical aid in building Pakistan's indigenous FMD vaccine production capacity.

This joint effort aligns with Pakistan's goal of establishing disease-free zones and improving access to international meat markets. During a meeting on Wednesday, Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain and Turkish Ambassador Dr Irfan Neziroglu discussed practical measures to enhance bilateral cooperation in agriculture, livestock, vaccine production, human resource development, and value-added food exports.

Recognizing livestock development and domestic FMD vaccine production as key priorities, the Turkish delegation expressed readiness to provide technical support to Pakistan. Both countries reviewed recent discussions between their livestock experts, recognizing that enhanced animal health standards and domestic vaccine production could boost Pakistan's livestock and meat export potential.

The two sides also committed to translating their shared strategic partnership into practical steps through institutional links, technical collaborations, and direct interactions between relevant ministries, universities, and experts. A major part of the meeting centered on capacity building and technical training, with Pakistan proposing to send a group of around 30 individuals to Turkey for a training program aimed at 100 trainees.