The 28th United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) Asia-Pacific Conference is to be held in Jakarta from May 15 to 19 to help the region counter regional and global challenges, Agriculture Minister Anton Apriyantono said here on Friday.

The ministerial meeting will discuss food security and poverty reduction, evaluation of the trend of production, consumption and trade of agricultural commodities, bird flu prevention, development of bio-energy and pesticide management, said Anton.

At the senior officials' meeting, delegates will discuss food security and poverty reduction in the region in an effort to reach the Millennium Development Goals, the impact of international trade policies on the region, as well as the arrangement of fair international trade system that can bring benefit to poor people, he said.

"To avoid the international trade from making a country become poor, there must be a win-win solution," he said.

The conference will be attended by agricultural ministers and senior officials from all the 46 countries in the region, a number of UN organizations and observer countries, said Anton, adding that so far more than half of the countries have confirm their participation.

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is scheduled to open a session at the ministerial meeting, the minister said.

During the ministerial meeting, Indonesia will seek cooperation in the field of agriculture, including development of bio-energy farming, bird flu eradication, fisheries, and tourism with other countries in the region, said the minister.

Source: Xinhua