Haileh Reihan, Director of the National Center for Agricultural Policies at the Ministry of Agriculture, held discussions with Mohammad Mansouri, Director of the Investment Centre at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Assistant Director-General of the Organization, regarding investment opportunities in Syria's agricultural sector. These talks took place on the sidelines of the 54th session of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS), held at the FAO headquarters in Rome, the Italian capital.
The Ministry of Agriculture stated on Friday that the discussions addressed the role of FAO in supporting recovery efforts in Syria by providing technical expertise, facilitating investments, and mobilizing necessary resources to implement sustainable agricultural development projects. In this context, Reihan also met with Anouk van den Wijngaart, Senior Policy Advisor for International Development at the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, to explore ways to develop Syrian-Dutch agricultural cooperation, exchange expertise, and identify potential support areas to enhance agricultural production and bolster food security.
For his part, the Director of the National Center for Agricultural Policies discussed with Natasha Hayward, Representative of the World Bank Group, opportunities for cooperation in supporting the recovery of Syria's agricultural sector, particularly in rehabilitating agricultural infrastructure, developing production and value chains, and providing the necessary financing and technical expertise to support farmers and improve livelihoods in rural areas. He noted that these meetings are part of Syria's efforts to expand its international partnerships, attract technical and financial support, and open new horizons for agricultural investment.
In the context of enhancing food security assessment tools, Reihan discussed with Jose Lopez, Director of the Global Programme for Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) at FAO, and Sergio Reggi, Head of the Country Support Team for the Programme, the mechanisms for implementing classification in Syria. This aims to provide reliable data and analyses that help determine levels of food insecurity and guide interventions based on actual needs, supporting evidence-based decision-making. The meeting covered preparations for the Programme team's visit to Syria and the organization of a proposed workshop to implement classification activities in the coming weeks, with support and funding from FAO and the World Food Programme (WFP).
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
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