FAO Director-General addresses Near East Regional Group handover ceremony in Rome

Rome- The FAO Director-General, QU Dongyu, participated today in the handover ceremony for the chairperson of the Near East Regional Group at FAO headquarters. 

During the meeting, Qu expressed his appreciation to the outgoing chairperson, Ambassador Zeibe of Mauritania, for her exceptional leadership and commitment, and welcomed the incoming chairperson, Ambassador Mustafa Barzani of Iraq.

The Director-General emphasized that the Near East region has unique characteristics, such as abundant sunshine, which could be utilized not only for solar energy, but also for building solar greenhouses that could help revolutionize agrifood systems.

Acknowledging the challenges of water scarcity in the region, Qu highlighted FAO's dedication to assisting its Members in developing productive agriculture, even in times of drought, by taking advantage of the dry conditions to cultivate alternative crops such as mushrooms.

He encouraged the Ambassadors of the Near East region to expand their value chains and promote their unique products, while considering a regional transformation of agrifood systems that leverages each country's strengths and advantages.

Finally, he proposed the idea of a free trade agreement among the nations, with each country playing a complementary role rather than competing against one another.

"Let's walk together and build peace, prosperity, and a happy future," he emphasized, reiterating his and FAO’s long-term commitment to supporting the region.