Damascus, Aug. 12 (SANA)Agriculture Minister Baselal-Suwaidanon Wednesday discussed with International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Representative to Syria Tawfiq el-Zabri the projects implemented by the fund in Syria and its plans for the next phase.

During the meeting, al-Suwaidan affirmed Syria’s openness to cooperation with Arab countries and international organizations, stressing the ministry’s commitment to directing support toward sustainable projects that have a direct and positive impact on farmers, while expediting procedures and providing facilities to help them recover and achieve stability.

Al-Suwaidan reviewed the ministry’s vision and strategy for advancing the agricultural sector, including managing productive assets, developing the Agricultural Cooperative Bank, providing concessional loans, adopting modern irrigation systems and alternative energy, and strengthening agricultural extension and cooperatives.

He also highlighted the importance of encouraging the private sector to participate in agricultural development through major investment projects, contract farming and agro-processing industries.

The minister stressed the need to resume stalled government irrigation projects and introduce modern technologies, with a particular focus on the eastern provinces given their diverse resources and extensive areas suitable for agriculture and investment.

For his part, el-Zabri reviewed projects implemented by IFAD in Syria since it began operating in the country in 1982, as well as the ongoing livestock development project and its various components.

He also presented a proposed project for the next phase aimed at supporting the recovery of Syria’s agricultural sector in line with IFAD’s vision and the Agriculture Ministry’s priorities, outlining its financing mechanisms, duration and implementation phases.

El-Zabri noted that IFAD is the only United Nations fund specializing in rural development, particularly in poverty reduction, supporting small-scale farmers and strengthening the role of rural women.

He underscored the importance of updating agricultural data and statistics, particularly those related to water resources and irrigation.

IFAD is a specialized agency of the United Nations and an international financial institution headquartered in Rome, Italy. Formally established in 1977 as a key outcome of the 1974 World Food Conference, IFAD was created in response to the devastating global food crises and famines of the early 1970s.IFAD equips rural communities, through concessional low-interest loans, grants, and co-financing models,with modern technology, sustainable irrigation systems, and direct market access to ensure long-term global food security.