India and CFC Explore Stronger Strategic Partnership
The Hague, 18 March 2026 – Ambassador Caroline Kitana Chipeta, Ambassador of the United Republic of Tanzania to the Netherlands and Chair of the CFC Governing Council; H.E. Mr. J. Eduardo Malaya, Ambassador of the Philippines to the Netherlands and Chair of the CFC Executive Board; and Ambassador Sheikh Mohammed Belal, Managing Director of the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC), paid a strategic partner visit to the Embassy of India in The Hague. During the visit, they met with H.E. Mr. Kumar Tuhin, Ambassador of India to the Netherlands, who was accompanied by Ms. Priya Goel, First Secretary (ITOU and Economic & Commerce).
The discussions focused on strengthening cooperation between India and the CFC, with particular emphasis on India’s leadership in the Global South and its longstanding contribution to agricultural development, rural transformation, and poverty reduction. The meeting also explored opportunities to deepen engagement under CFC 2.0, the Fund’s renewed institutional and operational framework.
Ambassador Caroline Kitana Chipeta highlighted the significance of the Fund’s transformation, noting that “the adoption of the amended Agreement at the last Governing Council marked an important turning point for the CFC and laid a strong foundation for CFC 2.0.” She added that “India has done so much for the Global South, and its ideas and leadership remain extremely important as the Fund moves into this new phase.”
H.E. Mr. J. Eduardo Malaya described the transition to CFC 2.0 as a positive signal to the wider international community, stating that “this is a turning point for the CFC. CFC 2.0 sends a good investment signal and shows that the institution is ready to move forward with renewed momentum.” He added that “other partners are also coming together, which makes this an important moment for broader cooperation.”
Ambassador Belal emphasized the Fund’s practical value and readiness to grow, noting that “the CFC has a proven model, trusted by partners, and we are now ready to scale up.” Referring to India’s development philosophy, he recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s emphasis that “we have to empower the poor to end poverty” and that “for India’s bright future, we will have to be poverty-free,” underscoring that these principles closely align with the CFC’s mandate to strengthen commodity value chains and support smallholder farmers and SMEs. He added that “India’s leadership within the Global South is both important and timely, and we see practical ways forward in partnership, cooperation, finance, and capacity building.”
The meeting also explored concrete pathways for future cooperation. These included possible support for commodity development initiatives in commodity-dependent developing countries and least developed countries, voluntary contributions to strengthen the Fund’s operational capacity, and cooperation on knowledge-sharing and capacity development initiatives.
Particular attention was given to the relevance of India’s wider international development engagement and South-South cooperation platforms. The discussions noted that India’s cooperation with the United Nations, including through development partnership mechanisms and capacity-building initiatives, offers a useful context for practical collaboration with the CFC in areas such as sustainable agriculture, rural livelihoods, value addition, and support to SMEs and producer organizations.
The meeting also recognized the potential significance of India’s forthcoming BRICS Chairship in 2026 as an opportunity to reinforce the visibility of the CFC within the broader South-South cooperation agenda. In this regard, India’s leadership could help promote renewed political support for the CFC and strengthen international attention to resilient commodity value chains, local processing, and inclusive development in commodity-dependent economies.
Ambassador Kumar Tuhin reaffirmed India’s readiness to work more closely with the CFC and underlined India’s broader commitment to South-South cooperation and inclusive development. Responding to the references to India’s development approach, he noted that “India’s development partnerships are guided by the principle of empowering communities and creating sustainable economic opportunities.” He added that “the emphasis on poverty eradication, capacity building, and strengthening value chains strongly resonates with India’s own experience, and there is clear potential to further explore practical cooperation with the CFC in areas such as agriculture, rural development, and development partnership.”
About the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC)
The CFC is an UN-affiliated international financial institution based in Amsterdam, working in over 100 countries to support inclusive economic development through impact investing in commodity value chains.
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[CFC Media Relations Team]
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