Damascus, Dec.11(sana) Syrian Minister of Agriculture Amjad Badr met on Thursday with the acting Country Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Pirro Tomaso Perri to discuss strengthening cooperation and setting priorities for the next phase in line with the ministry’s strategy, including efforts to protect livestock from epidemic diseases.
Badr stressed the importance of holding a comprehensive, technically focused workshop that would define the necessary programs and projects in accordance with the ministry’s new vision covering various agricultural sectors. He also underlined the urgent need to safeguard livestock by ensuring the availability of vaccines—particularly against foot-and-mouth disease—while prioritizing the governorates most at risk. The minister emphasized enhancing laboratory capabilities through upgraded equipment and specialized staff training.
For his part, Perri noted that the FAO is currently prioritizing capacity building, skills development, and improved governance within Syria’s agricultural sector. He said the planned workshop aims to clearly define cooperation priorities and translate them into actionable, well-resourced projects that support the sector. Perri added that the FAO, in coordination with other international organizations, is working to secure the vaccines needed to protect Syria’s livestock.
The Ministry of Agriculture continues to expand cooperation with the FAO, most recently through a joint workshop in Damascus introducing the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) system.
