Minister of Agriculture at the Food Systems Summit: Syria looks forward to cooperating with countries and international organizations to implement early recovery and development programs

Rome (ST): The Minister of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform Mohamed Hassan Qatana explained in a speech during the United Nations Food Systems Summit that is being held in the Italian capital, Rome, the importance of expanding the scope of scientific and applied research and benefiting from study centers to avoid the severe environmental, social and economic crises that we are facing.

Qatana added that this summit constitutes a global event that has gained enough momentum for the world to realize the size of the threats to achieving food security and sustainability of resources in the light of the growing demand for food, adding that it is time to adopt rapid measures to transform agricultural and food systems towards sustainable production and consumption patterns to reach comprehensive economic growth.

Qatana pointed out that Syria, after the challenges it faced due to terrorism and blockade, is looking forward to cooperating with countries that believe and are already working for human rights and security, and with international governmental and non-governmental organizations to implement early recovery and development programs in Syria, which constitutes the cornerstone for the success of any effort made to achieve the goals of sustainable development.

Qatana pointed out that Syria is working to develop a comprehensive and coordinated approach to transform agricultural and food systems into more efficient, comprehensive, flexible, and sustainable systems, in cooperation with FAO office in Damascus, in order to build an integrated strategy to transform agricultural and food systems in Syria.

During his participation in the activities of the summit and in a special session on confronting food systems in fragile environments, climate change, food insecurity, and malnutrition, Minister Qatana stressed the need to identify opportunities and unify Arab efforts toward transforming food systems in fragile environments and the need to increase investments and provide financing for such projects in countries suffering from crises, including Syria. He pointed to the role of the Arab League and joint Arab action organizations in this regard and the importance of inter-Arab cooperation in this field.

Minister Qatana also met on the sidelines of the summit, with the Regional Director of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (DIFAD) Dina Saleh and discussed with her aspects of cooperation in the field of developing livestock and implementing new development projects in Syria, stressing the need to develop the work of the Livestock Development Project, which is being implemented in Syria in cooperation with the Fund.

K.Q.