Antigua and Barbuda is looking to strengthen ties with Turkiye in a bid to expand its agricultural sector, reduce reliance on imports and bolster food security, Foreign Affairs Minister E.P. Chet Greene said Thursday.

Greene made the appeal during a courtesy call with Turkiye’s new Ambassador to Antigua and Barbuda, Emriye Bağdagül Ormancı, describing the European nation as “one of the breadbaskets of the world.”

“If you take the area of agriculture, you are easily one of the world’s leading agricultural producing countries and so we anticipate that through this relationship that we can see further growth in our own agricultural sector as this is one of the areas that we have targeted for growth,” Greene told the ambassador.

The minister said food security and sovereignty are critical priorities for the government, pointing to rising import costs, supply chain disruptions and shrinking market access.

“For us, these are not just mere buzz words; they come with a deep and abiding meaning,” Greene said. “As we pay attention to the global realities with food chains shortening, logistics issues and the ever increasing prices for food, it is incumbent on us as a people to build capacity with the help of friendly countries such as yours.”

Greene noted that Antigua and Barbuda cannot fully replace imports due to its size, but said the country has the right conditions to expand crop production and reduce reliance on imported animal products.

Ambassador Ormancı welcomed the talks and said Turkiye, which has been widening its diplomatic presence in the Caribbean, is willing to share expertise.

“Turkiye has a well-developed agricultural sector and stands ready to assist Antigua and Barbuda achieve its stated goals in this area,” she said.