Qatar, Palestine sign pact to promote agriculture

DOHA: Qatar and Palestine have signed an agreement to promote and develop cooperation in the fields of agriculture, livestock and fisheries.

The agreement was signed by Minister of Municipality and Environment, H E Mohamed bin Abdullah Al Rumaihi, and Minister of Agriculture of Palestine, Dr. Sufian Sultan, said a release.

The agreement provides for the exchange of agricultural information and experiences in the fields of food production and agricultural scientific research, combating desertification, palm planting, soil, water and agricultural guidance, poultry, and fish farming.

The agreement also includes cooperation in the field of livestock, veterinary services, control of transboundary diseases, agricultural pesticides and seeds, and resistance to diseases and pests within IPM programs.

Last week, Qatar had reiterated its rejection of all steps aimed at obstructing and weakening the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), reaffirming its commitment to stand by the Palestinian people and to provide for their basic needs.

Qatar’s stand was made clear, on Tuesday, by Minister of State for Foreign Affairs H E Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi, in his speech at the Ministerial Meeting of the 150th ordinary session of the Arab League Council.

Al Muraikhi said that the continued Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Arab territories is the biggest challenge facing the Arab nation. He stressed that the Palestinian Cause, which witnessed serious developments during this year without a just solution, is still the central issue of the Arab Nation.

He said that Qatar supports all serious endeavours for peace and stressed that all efforts must be in line with the resolutions of international legitimacy and the Arab peace initiative.

It should be in accordance with the two-state solution agreed upon by the international community, to ensure the establishment of a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, he said. The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs stressed Qatar’s rejection and condemnation of all steps aimed at obstructing and weakening the UNRWA, as well as its call on the international community to shoulder its legal and moral responsibility to provide the necessary resources for the Agency to continue its humanitarian work.

Underlining the commitment of the State of Qatar to stand by the Palestinian people and to work towards the provision of basic needs, he pointed to the State of Qatar’s donation of $50m, during the extraordinary ministerial meeting of the Agency in Rome, to meet the deficit faced by UNRWA to finance its humanitarian projects.

وقع كل من سعادة السيد محمد بن عبدالله الرميحي وزير البلدية والبيئة، وسعادة الدكتور سفيان سلطان وزير الزراعة بدولة فلسطين، مؤخراً، بمقر الوزارة، اتفاقية لتعزيز وتطوير التعاون بين دولة قطر ودولة فلسطين في المجال الزراعي والحيواني والسمكي.

تتضمن الاتفاقية تبادل المعلومات والخبرات الزراعية في مجالات الإنتاج الغذائي والبحوث العلمية الزراعية، وتنفيذ المشاريع المشتركة، ومكافحة التصحر، وزراعة النخيل، والتربة والمياه، والإرشاد الزراعي، وقطاع تربية وإنتاج الدواجن والبيض، والصيد البحري والاستزراع السمكي.

كما تشمل الاتفاقية التعاون في مجال الثروة الحيوانية، والخدمات البيطرية، والحجر البيطري، ومكافحة الأمراض العابرة للحدود، وتسجيل المبيدات الزراعية، والبذور والتقاوي، ومقاومة الأمراض والآفات ضمن برامج المكافحة المتكاملة للآفات الزراعية مثل سوسة النخيل الحمراء وغيرها. حضر توقيع الاتفاقية الشيخ فالح بن ناصر آل ثاني وكيل الوزارة المساعد لشؤون الزراعة والثروة السمكية، وعدد من مسؤولي القطاع الزراعي بوزارة البلدية والبيئة.;