Noting that agricultural production of each country has not yet reached a satisfactory level and hunger and malnutrition not reduced in many countries, he said:

The FAO should elaborate and diversify its assistance so that it can efficiently contribute to the efforts of the member states in achieving the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Any act hindering international efforts for sustainable agricultural development and eradication of poverty should not be overlooked.

A peaceful environment is prerequisite to achieving the SDGs.

However, some specific countries attempt to use their power to check the independent aspirations of developing countries. Their power policy poses a serious threat to not only national sovereignty but also people's right to existence and economic development including agriculture.

A typical example is the act of those forces hostile to the DPRK imposing unprecedentedly inhumane sanctions on the DPRK in order to bring down the socialist system and even strangle people's livelihood.

As long as all sorts of sanctions and pressure that run against the trend of times remain, one can hardly expect success no matter how good sustainable development goals are. Neither can the ideal of humankind to build a free, peaceful and prosperous world be realized.

The DPRK government, in the future too, will strengthen the cooperation with FAO and the member states in line with its ideal of foreign policy of independence, peace and friendship.

And it will make positive contribution to the international efforts for the sustainable development of agriculture and eradicating poverty.