Lebanese Agriculture Minister Signs Agricultural MoU with Oman to Strengthen Cooperation and Food Security

As part of his efforts to strengthen Lebanon's agricultural presence in the Arab world and expand partnerships supporting national production, Agriculture Minister Dr. Nizar Hani visited the Sultanate of Oman, accompanied by his advisor Fadi Ghanem and a delegation from the Union of Vegetable and Fruit Importers. The visit combined the signing of a memorandum of understanding for bilateral cooperation with ministerial meetings to explore trade exchange opportunities and open new markets for Lebanese agricultural products.

Hani signed a memorandum of understanding with his Omani counterpart, Minister of Agricultural Wealth, Fisheries, and Water Resources Dr. Saud bin Hamoud Al-Habsi, to enhance cooperation in areas of sustainable agricultural development, fisheries, and food security, in the presence of Lebanon's Ambassador to the Sultanate, Majdi Ramadan.

The memorandum establishes a partnership that includes the exchange of expertise, scientific research, and transfer of modern agricultural technologies, improved water resource management, and adaptation to drought and climate change impacts. It also addresses enhancing plant and animal health and food safety, developing aquaculture, contributing to improving production efficiency and supporting resource sustainability.

Areas of cooperation also include encouraging joint investment, developing trade exchange, and expanding opportunities for agricultural and food products to reach the markets of both countries, opening additional horizons for producers and investors, and strengthening integration between the agricultural and food sectors in Lebanon and the Sultanate of Oman.

In parallel with strengthening Lebanese-Omani cooperation, Hani and the accompanying delegation participated in the International Dates Council activities, where they held a series of meetings with several Arab agriculture ministers, including their counterparts from Iraq, Tunisia, Libya, and Sudan.

Discussions focused on developing agricultural cooperation and expanding trade exchange, with special attention given to opportunities for opening Arab markets to Lebanese agricultural exports and enhancing their presence, providing additional marketing channels for Lebanese farmers and producers.

The meetings reflected the intensity of the movement led by Hani to link ministerial cooperation with the needs of the agricultural sector, placing the marketing of Lebanese production and expanding export opportunities at the core of communication with Arab countries. The presence of the union delegation also allowed monitoring discussions from the perspective of trade exchange and cooperation opportunities between relevant entities in both countries.

The visit falls within a path that Hani is pushing towards practical programs and projects, making Arab partnerships a lever to support farmers, fishermen, and producers, enhance food security, and provide new economic opportunities.

Hani expressed his gratitude to the Sultanate of Oman for the warm reception and constructive cooperation, emphasizing the importance of following up on cooperation areas and translating them into executive steps that serve common interests and support agricultural development in both countries.