Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon sign memorandum in agriculture field
DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – Agriculture Ministers of Syria, Jordan, Iraq, and Lebanon signed on Monday a quartet memorandum of understanding in the field of agriculture in a joint press conference in Damascus.
The memorandum is meant for agricultural cooperation and enhancing trade exchange to achieve the desired integration in cultivation among the four countries.
The two-day meeting kicked off on Sunday at the Dama Rose Hotel in Damascus.
Syrian Minister of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform, Mohammad Hassan Qatana, said that under the agreement investment projects will be proposed in the field of establishing facilities for livestock and fodder in addition to others.
The memorandum stipulates “developing agrarian cooperation of both plant and animal origin, exchanging experiences, information, and successful agricultural experiments, managing nature reserves and parks among the four countries, cooperating in the field of firefighting, climate change, rural developments, agricultural advisory, livestock production and health, and veterinary medicines.”
Qatana added that the ultimate goal is to achieve food security, stressing that the quartet agreement is “a step forward” and called on all Arab countries to join it.
The Iraqi minister, Abbas al-Alewi, said the agreement will facilitate trade in agricultural products of the four countries.
The Jordanian Agriculture Minister Khaled Hanifat stressed that the memorandum “reveals the true brotherly feelings among the four countries, and contributes in achieving integration in favor of our people.”
The Lebanese Minister of Agriculture, Abbas Hajj Hassan, said it is “a foundational step for a joint leading Arab action launched from Damascus, and we hope it will include all Arab countries in the near future.”
Following the recent catastrophe of the Feb. 6 earthquake, many Arab countries rushed towards normalization with Syria, paying visits, the most notable of which was the one made by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, accompanied by his wife Asma al-Assad, to the UAE.