Cairo, Oct. 15, 2025 (SUNA) - Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation, Professor Ismat Gurashi, chaired Sudan's delegation to the Third Joint Ministerial Meeting of Arab Ministers of Water and Agriculture, held in Cairo on Wednesday with the participation of Arab ministers of water and agriculture.
The meeting was jointly organized by the Technical Secretariat of the Arab Ministerial Council for Water and the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development (AOAD).
The meeting discussed the recommendations of the High-Level Joint Technical Committee, as well as reports and experiences related to institutional coordination between the water and agriculture sectors, ways to improve productivity, and the impacts of climate change on both sectors.
In his address to the meeting, Professor Gurashi congratulated the leadership and government of the Arab Republic of Egypt on the successful organization of the 8th Cairo Water Week, describing the forum as a unique international platform for exchanging scientific knowledge and best practices related to water and its associated sectors. He also congratulated Egypt's Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation for its strategic vision and development efforts in the water sector, expressing confidence that these initiatives will strengthen the desired Arab integration, particularly in water and related fields.
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The minister praised the efforts of the League of Arab States, especially its ministerial councils such as the Arab Ministerial Council for Water, and commended all Arab joint institutions, led by the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development, for their coordination and implementation efforts to enhance the agriculture and water sectors.
He stressed that food and water security are integral parts of Arab national security, which in turn forms the foundation for sustainable peace and stability. He expressed Sudan's appreciation for the efforts of experts and members of the joint technical committee in following up on the implementation of the Cairo Declaration Action Plan, promoting the use of non-conventional water resources in agriculture, and advancing innovative, climate-resilient approaches through development accelerators such as artificial intelligence and digital applications in water and agriculture.
Professor Gurashi further expressed Sudan's appreciation for the Arab partnership with FAO and ESCWA, highlighting their engagement in several agricultural and water projects across the region, voicing confidence that these partnerships will yield further benefits for the Arab world.
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The minister also reviewed the situation in Sudan, noting the vandalization caused by terrorist militias that targeted numerous production sites, irrigation networks, and storage facilities. He affirmed that, thanks to national efforts and the support of Arab partners and international organizations, Sudan had managed to overcome the challenges and achieve significant food production surpluses during the summer season. This was accomplished through the effective implementation of the National Food Systems and Nutrition Plan, which focused on increasing domestic production, improving nutrition, and supporting agricultural projects by providing seeds, fertilizers, fuel, and promoting the expansion of both rain-fed and irrigated agriculture.
He also highlighted the government's efforts to support farmers directly and through national, regional, and international partners, commending the contributions of the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development, FAO, and the World Food Programme (WFP) in providing technical support to Sudanese farmers.
The minister emphasized that these efforts form a solid foundation for building a sustainable agricultural sector, particularly with the improvement of the four key pillars of food security: availability, access, utilization, and stability.
In conclusion, Minister Gurashi called on Arab countries to support Sudan's efforts to restore and rehabilitate the agricultural sector as part of the broader national reconstruction process.
