Juan Lucas Restrepo, director general of the Alliance of Bioversity International and International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), speaks during the award ceremony at the Chinese Embassy to Italy in Rome, Italy, on May 31, 2022. The Chinese Embassy in Italy bestowed the 2020 International Science and Technology Cooperation Award to the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) here on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Jin Mamengni)
ROME, May 31 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Embassy in Italy bestowed the 2020 International Science and Technology Cooperation Award to the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) here on Tuesday.
At a ceremony that was long delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Juan Lucas Restrepo, director general of the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, was presented the medal and the certificate of the award.
"We're very proud to ... receive this award that showcases 40 years of very close collaboration between the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences (CATAS) and CIAT," said Restrepo, vowing to continue to push for close cooperation with China and promote the sustainable development of agriculture globally.
Established in 1967, CIAT has been in long-term cooperation with CATAS since 1982 in the field of cassava and tropical forages. In 2020, Bioversity International and CIAT joined forces to create an alliance, which delivers research-based solutions that harness agricultural biodiversity and sustainably transform food systems to improve people's lives.
Addressing the ceremony, Chinese Ambassador to Italy Li Junhua noted the presentation "represents a new starting point" in the two sides' joint response "to today's global challenges of poverty, malnutrition, climate change, and biodiversity loss."
China will deepen international cooperation in science and technology through greater opening-up, he added.
The International Science and Technology Cooperation Award is a state-level annual award established by China's State Council in 1994, which is conferred on foreign experts or organizations that have made important contributions to the development of science and technology in China.
In 2020, eight foreign experts and one international organization won the award for their collaboration with Chinese scientists, but due to pandemic restrictions, they were absent from the award ceremony held in November 2021 in Beijing.
Chinese Ambassador to Italy Li Junhua (R) presents the certificate to Juan Lucas Restrepo, director general of the Alliance of Bioversity International and International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), at the Chinese Embassy to Italy in Rome, Italy, on May 31, 2022. The Chinese Embassy in Italy bestowed the 2020 International Science and Technology Cooperation Award to the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) here on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Jin Mamengni)
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