AMMAN, JORDAN – Jordan Prime Minister Dr. Bisher Khasawneh has a joint meeting with the agriculture ministers of Iraq, Syria and Lebanon.
Jordan’s agriculture minister also participated in the meeting.
During the meeting Khasawneh stressed the importance of the four countries’ cooperation and integration to enhance sustainable food security, adding that agriculture constitutes “the most essential component” in this regard.
The PM also pointed out to Iraq’s agriculture minister Muhammad Karim Khafaji, Syria’s Muhammad Hassan Qatna, Lebanon’s Abbas Al-Hajj Hassan and Jordan’s Khaled Hneifat the importance of expanding this quadripartite cooperation to include other Arab countries.
In this regard, PM referred to King Abdullah II’s attention to increase regional cooperation in the food security field, and to make Jordan, in collaboration with other Arab countries, a regional cooperation and integration center in the food security area.
Khasawneh said that COVID-19 pandemic and Ukraine war have mainly affected the supply chains of basic commodities and materials.
He said that the strengthening of pan-Arab integrative capabilities is required to meet these countries’ needs of basic commodities to achieve common interests in agricultural integration field and facilitate movement of agri-trade.
The agriculture ministers of the four countries stressed the importance of this meeting in strengthening agricultural cooperation, finding possible solutions to food crises and supporting and developing agri-production.
The ministers also noted challenges posed by global crises and the accompanying rise in freight and export wages and decline in production of livestock and agricultural crops, as well as climate changes, push joint orientation to enhance principle of Arab and regional food security.
Jordan’s Minister of State for Prime Ministry Affairs Dr. Ibrahim Al-Jazi and Minister of State for Government Follow-up and Coordination, Dr. Nawaf Al-Tal also attended the meeting.