New Delhi: Research institute ICRISAT in partnership with think-tank RIS on Tuesday launched a new centre of excellence aimed at strengthening agricultural cooperation among Global South countries.

The ICRISAT Centre for Excellence for South-South Cooperation (ISSCA) will facilitate partnerships between countries facing similar agricultural and climate challenges.

The launch coincided with a memorandum of understanding between International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and DAKSHIN, a Government of India initiative for capacity-building partnerships in South-South cooperation.

"In agriculture, we have got a special strength and special objective for south-south cooperation," ICRISAT Director General Himanshu Pathak told reporters. "There are many similarities among countries of the Global South in terms of climate, soil, culture and heritage related to agriculture."