Lebanon secures 7.3-million-USD deal with France for green agriculture project

Beirut (The Uttam Hindu): Lebanon secured a 7.3-million-USD agreement with France to boost its green agriculture development, Lebanon's National News agency (NNA) reported. The agreement was signed between the French Development Agency and the CIHEAM Montpellier in the presence of Lebanese Agriculture Minister Abbas Hajj Hassan. According to NNA, the agreement was inked in Egypt's capital Cairo during a seminar on promoting green agriculture.

The project aims to assist about 2,500 Lebanese farmers in transitioning to green agriculture and support more than 150 cooperatives and private traders in improving their agricultural products, NNA quoted Hajj Hassan's office as saying. The project also seeks to raise awareness about the importance of eco-friendly agriculture and support public policies that contribute to this transition, Xinhua news agency reported. The CIHEAM Montpellier is one of CIHEAM's four institutes. CIHEAM, or the International Center for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies, is a France-based Mediterranean intergovernmental organisation. It has 13 member states including Albania, Algeria, Egypt, France, Greece, Italy, Lebanon, Malta, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Tunisia, and Turkey.

The minister's office pointed out that the project will be implemented over the next four years, under the supervision of the Lebanese Agriculture Ministry. France is one of Lebanon’s main political partners, as shown by the density of political bilateral relations between the two countries and our constant support at the UN for the resolutions to defend Lebanon’s sovereignty. France supports the stability, unity, independence and sovereignty of Lebanon. France pays particular attention to strengthening the institutions of the Lebanese State in order to support its authority across Lebanon.