Minister Farouk began the meeting by emphasizing the deep historical ties between Egypt and Uzbekistan across various sectors and levels. He affirmed the Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture's commitment to providing comprehensive support and expertise to ensure the success of joint ventures, aiming to bolster food security and agricultural development in both countries.
Farouk suggested that this cooperation could extend to agricultural
scientific research and its practical applications. He highlighted Egypt's
extensive experience and significant breakthroughs in this area, along with its
adoption of modern agricultural technologies. He also mentioned that memoranda
of understanding in agriculture and agricultural quarantine, which have been in
preparation for the past three years, are ready for signing.
Ambassador Klychev underscored his country's eagerness to
enhance cooperation, particularly in agriculture. He noted the strong focus on
economic cooperation, especially in the agriculture and food security sectors,
by the political leadership in both nations. He also stressed the importance of
intensifying efforts to maximize agricultural collaboration.
The Ambassador expressed Uzbekistan's desire to
benefit from Egypt's proficiency in cotton cultivation technology. Furthermore,
he sought cooperation in research to produce improved, high-yield seeds for
several crops, including potatoes. He revealed that several Uzbek companies are
interested in importing Egyptian potato varieties to test their cultivation
under Uzbekistan's environmental conditions.
Beyond this, the Ambassador highlighted potential knowledge exchange in sugar beet cultivation and processing, as well as fertilizer production, particularly urea. He also expressed a strong interest in learning from Egypt's successful experiences in reclaiming desert lands, developing and modernizing irrigation systems, and utilizing groundwater for cultivating desert areas.