SEFOPE and European Union discuss cooperation in agroforestry training
The Secretary of State for Vocational Training and Employment, Rogério Araújo Mendonça, met with the Head of the European Union Delegation, Marc Fiedrich, at the Secretariat of State's premises in Dili.
The main topic of discussion at this meeting was collaboration in agroforestry training in Timor-Leste. During the meeting, Marc Fiedrich presented a series of ongoing initiatives conducted by the European Union in Timor-Leste, with particular emphasis on activities related to the agroforestry sector.
This cooperation programme discussed during the meeting aims to promote the sustainable development of the agroforestry sector, with an emphasis on training young people and improving productivity. The partnership between the European Union and the Government of Timor-Leste in this area aims to create training opportunities that will allow young people to acquire essential skills in agriculture, enabling them to become successful professionals or entrepreneurs in this sector.
Marc Fiedrich also discussed the European Union's support for Timor-Leste in additional strategic areas, such as nutrition, the ASEAN and World Trade Organization (WTO) accession processes, and public finance management.
The Secretary of State, Rogério Araújo Mendonça, emphasised the Government's commitment to providing training at the municipal level to raise awareness among the population about the importance of reforestation in areas affected by deforestation, by planting productive trees such as orange trees, mango trees and other species. Planting these trees plays a vital role in preventing erosion and landslides during the rainy season and, at the same time, promotes the economic sustainability of local communities.
The Secretary of State also highlighted the importance of this programme as a valuable contribution to changing people's mentality towards the indiscriminate cutting down of trees and promoting the practice of sustainable cultivation, which can support the local economy.
The Secretary of State and the diplomat expressed their desire to continue working closely together to ensure a more sustainable and promising future for young people in Timor-Leste in agroforestry training.
