Damascus - The food security and livelihoods situation of some 234,000 people has received a strong boost thanks to a recently completed animal health campaign led by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in collaboration with the Syria Veterinary Medical Association.

With funding from the United States Government, the three-month campaign has protected more than 1.3 million sheep and goats and 65,000 cattle from parasites and parasitic diseases in Syria.

The current crisis has weakened Syria's veterinary services and a shortage of vaccines has increased the risk of infection in livestock upon which many people living in rural areas.

Rome - Global food commodity prices rose in June, led by wheat and meat prices.

The FAO Food Price Index, a monthly trade-weighted index tracking international market prices of five major food commodity groups, released today, averaged 175.2 points in June, up 1.4 percent from May and 7.0 percent from a year earlier.

The FAO Cereal Price Index rose by 4.2 percent in the month, amid surging prices of high-protein wheat due to deteriorating crop conditions in the United States of America. Maize prices, by contrast, declined amid record harvests in South America.

Damascus, (ST) -The Minister of Higher Education Dr. Atef Al Naddaf discussed on Wednesday during his meeting with the Iranian Ambassador in Damascus Jawad Turkabadi ways to develop and strengthen scientific cooperation relations between the two countries.

Mr. Al Naddaf indicated tohis ministry's keenness to strengthen the joint scientific relations through the exchange of students, professors and educational materials and reviewed the reality of teaching and examination process at universities.

Damascus, (ST) - The Arab Republic of Egypt will participate in the 59^thsession of the Damascus International Fair (DIF) to be held on August 17- 26, with a pavilion covering an area of 610 square meters.

The head of the Syrian Businessmen Association in Egypt Eng. Khaldoun al Mowaqi, told local press that the Egyptian pavilion at the exhibition will include the products of large companies and factories of various activities.

He said that the participation of the Egyptian companies in the exhibition came on the basis of a proposal submitted by the Syrian businessmen in Egypt and discussed with the various Egyptian economic bodies concerned from the public and private sectors, which responded to him regarding the participation in this exhibition.

DAMASCUS, (ST) – The Minister of Finance Dr. Mamoun Hamdan and the ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Damascus Jawad Turkabadi discussed here on Sunday ways of enhancing cooperation between the two friendly countries in the financial and economic fields.

Mr. Hamdan reviewed the efforts exerted by the government to modernize investment laws and simplify procedures, especially in the industrial fields. He called on Iranian businessmen to invest in Syria in the reconstruction phase, noting the great role played by the Iranian companies.