Read-out of the Director-General’s meeting with H.E. Mohammed Hassan Qatana, Minister for Agriculture and Agrarian Reform of the Syrian Arab Republic

FAO Director-General QU Dongyu met with H.E. Mohammed Hassan Qatana, Minister for Agriculture and Agrarian Reform of the Syrian Arab Republic.

The Director-General expressed his deepest condolences to the people of the Syrian Arab Republic for the tragic loss of life and damage caused by the earthquake that affected the northern area of Syria and the southern area of the Republic of Türkiye.

The Director-General reconfirmed that FAO stands ready to contribute, together with the relevant UN agencies, in response to the growing need for emergency support.

The Minister appreciated FAO’s continued support to the Syrian Agriclture sector. He emphasized the high potential of the Agriculture sector in Syria, referring to the Government efforts, in cooperation with FAO, to restore irrigation infrastructure, providing community equipment and promoting agrifood enterprises.

The Director-General and Minister Qatana agreed to consolidate FAO’s programme in Syria to support agrifood systems, including through the Hand-in-Hand Initiative and the One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) initiative among others.