Agriculture ministers of SAARC countries have called for increase cooperation at the regional and international level and to form a global coalition of partnership to achieve the target of halving of hungry people by 2015.

In a resolution adopted here on Wednesday after elaborate discussion on food and agriculture scenario of the region in the context of expediting actions to realise the targets set earlier by World Food Summit in Rome in 1996, the ministers have emphasised that hunger can not be eliminated unless poverty is addressed in a comprehensive manner.

They have also recommended the secretary general of SAARC to communicate the common position to the director general of FAO in Rome to be circulated as an official document of the forthcoming conference.

The resolution also recommitted the SAARC nations to join hands to alleviate poverty from the region by recalling the declaration of the 11th SAARC summit in Kathmandu.

Addressing the meeting earlier, minister for agriculture and cooperatives Mahesh Acharya said that domestic policy concerns and lack of resources have caused the slow progress on attaining the global target of hunger reduction.

Referring to a customary practice of finding a common ground before any international conference, minister Acharya said that a common document will be produced before the World Food Summit, slated to be held in Rome next month.

Secretary general of SAARC QAMA Rahim, speaking on the occasion, highlighted the need to redouble the efforts through strengthening of cooperation among nations of the world to face the formidable task of halving the number of hungry people by 2015.

He also said that food which is the first and fundamental requirement of life should be placed at the top agenda for peace and stability in the world.