Egypt, Spain explore enhanced agricultural cooperation
Alaa Farouk, Egypt's Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, met with his Spanish counterpart, Luis Planas, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, to discuss avenues for strengthening bilateral cooperation in the agricultural sector. The meeting is part of Egypt's broader strategy to reinforce ties with EU nations and enhance the international presence of its agricultural exports.
The discussions took place on the sidelines of the 6th Conference of African and European Union Ministers of Agriculture and Food Security, held at the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations headquarters in Rome.
The ministers focused on key issues essential for bolstering food security and promoting sustainable agricultural development. Central to the talks were water management strategies, particularly efficient usage practices, and the implementation of advanced field irrigation systems.
Farouk underscored the importance of partnering with Spain to introduce cutting-edge technologies in smart agriculture and modern irrigation methods. He also highlighted opportunities for knowledge exchange across agricultural value chains and encouraged increased Spanish investment in Egypt's agri-business sector.
Planas, in turn, commended the exceptional quality of Egyptian agricultural products and their rising profile in international markets. He expressed keen interest in enhancing trade in agricultural and food commodities between the two countries and extended a formal invitation to Farouk to visit Spain later this year, notably to attend a major agricultural exhibition set to take place in Madrid.
Also present at the meeting were Saad Moussa, Head of External Agricultural Relations, and Mina Rizk, Egypt's Deputy Representative to UN Agencies in Rome.
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