Syrian-Russian talks to activate agricultural cooperation between the two countries

The Minister of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform, Eng. Muhammad Hassan Qatana, discussed today with the Director of the Russian Cultural Center and Counselor of the Russian Embassy in Damascus Nikolai Sokhov, areas of future cooperation, the topics of the agreement proposed between the ministries of agriculture in the two countries and the mechanisms for activating them.

During the meeting, Minister Qatana noted the strength of Syrian-Russian relations in all fields, and the importance of developing them in the agricultural field through the transfer of technologies and scientific research, pointing out the need to form a technical team to formulate the proposed agreement and its provisions to be ready for signature and lay the foundations for its implementation on the ground.

Qatana stressed the importance of exporting agricultural products, rose seedlings and fruit tree plantings to the Russian markets, indicating the importance of cooperation in the areas of granting health certificates, transferring technologies to establish floating fish farms in marine and fresh waters, and a mechanism for operating them in order to increase fish production in Syria, in addition to establishing a unit to produce the FMD vaccine as a result of the annual need for large quantities of it, and new mechanisms for artificial insemination and embryo cultivation, and the establishment of a laboratory for the propagation of palm saplings by weaving and transfer of expertise.

The minister pointed to the importance of providing energy sources and production requirements that support agricultural production and contribute to its manufacturing and marketing, and indicated the idea of bartering Syrian products with agricultural production requirements such as fertilizers and others, especially olive oil, citrus fruits, apples, and other Syrian products that are exportable and accepted in the Russian markets.

In turn, Sokhov stressed the center’s and the embassy’s efforts to unify visions and properly convey ideas to the relevant authorities in Russia to develop cooperation in all proposed fields, pointing out the importance of the items presented by the minister and the necessity of placing them within an agreement to implement them.

NR