Damascus, Jan. 27 (SANA) Syrian Minister of Agriculture Amjad Badr met with the Japanese Chargé d’Affaires in Damascus, Tsutomu Akihiro Tsuji, and a delegation from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to discuss ways to support Syria’s agricultural sector and revive modern irrigation projects.
The meeting, held Tuesday at the Ministry of Agriculture, reviewed JICA’s past projects in Syria, which contributed to agricultural research and development over previous years.
Minister Badr emphasized that transitioning to modern irrigation systems is a priority to address challenges facing the sector, including the loss of arable land, displacement, climate change, and prolonged drought, all of which have reduced productivity.
He added that the ministry is focusing on rehabilitating irrigation projects, developing livestock production, strengthening agricultural research, and training agricultural staff.
For his part, the Japanese chargé d’affaires reaffirmed his country’s readiness to expand technical cooperation, particularly in training personnel, reviving irrigation projects, and exploring new initiatives. He called on the ministry to outline its priority needs. The visit marks the first JICA delegation to Syria since 2011.
M.S
