Iran-Syria Discuss Ways To Develop Agricultural Cooperation

Damascus, Jan 4, IRNA – Syrian Minister of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform Riad Hijab and Iran’s Assistant Minister of Agriculture Mohammad Reza Shafei discussed ways to develop agricultural cooperation. IRNA quoting Syrian News Agency (SANA) said that Hijab, in the meeting, called for strengthening strategic ties between Tehran and Damascus and asked for implementation of signed agreements. He asked Iranian delegation for providing vaccine for “foot-and-mouth disease”, acceleration in construction of production line of vaccine, importing fertilizers from Iran, increasing cooperation in the field of agricultural researches, and exchanging experiences in the field of agricultural technology. Shafei, for his part, said that the visit came in the framework of bilateral agreement on increasing agricultural imports from Syria, especially citrus and olive oil. He said that Iran will import 60,000 tons of citrus and 5,000 tons of olive oil from Syria. The Iranian official expressed his country’s readiness for transferring experiences in the field of forestry and gardening and underlined that production line for foot-and-mouth disease vaccine will be commissioned in the next two years. The two countries have deep and strategic relations and are trying to promote economic relations to the political ties level./end