The quartet meeting of the agriculture ministers of Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq began in Syrian capital, Damascus, on Sunday. In a phone conversation with “Petra,” Jordanian Minister of Agriculture, Khaled Hneifat, who attended the meeting, ” said the four countries’ agriculture ministers launched the first steps of pan-Arab partnership aimed to face the food security crisis. Hneifat also noted threat of the global food crisis ” jeopardizes us all,” and this quartet meeting came to coordinate efforts to confront this dilemma, indicating that coordination between the four countries enjoys attention of the Arab countries’ leaders. In addition, Hneifat announced agriculture ministers agreed to review the rapid joint trade procedures, circulate veterinary drugs and vaccines, increase reliance on technology and cooperation to achieve food security, figure out solutions to water shortages and spread of agricultural diseases, and face difficulties in transporting and marketing agri-products. He pointed to Jordan’s “solid” relations with Syria, Iraq and Lebanon, especially since its social, cultural, commercial, political and agricultural relations are “deep-rooted.”
Source: Jordan News Agency