Morocco’s role in regional food security was the focus of talks in Rome on Saturday between Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development, Water and Forests, Mohamed Sadiki, and his Spanish counterpart, Luis Planas.

Held on the sidelines of the 43rd session of the Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the meeting provided an opportunity to examine several issues of common interest, at both national and regional levels, including value chains, water, irrigation and animal and plant health.

“As one of the most developed countries in Africa, Morocco can play a central role in eradicating problems linked to hunger and undernourishment on the continent”, the Spanish minister, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the European Union from this Saturday, told MAP.

Praising Morocco’s action in this area, the official pointed out that food sovereignty is one of the priorities of the Spanish presidency of the EU Council.

According to Sadiki, the meeting was an occasion to discuss technical and economic agricultural cooperation between Rabat and Madrid.

In a statement to MAP, the Minister said that the talks highlighted the importance of the Moroccan-Spanish sanitary agreement, which guarantees a rapid flow and dynamic of trade in the sector between the two countries and naturally between Africa and Europe, underlining the importance of triangular cooperation in meeting the challenges facing the Mediterranean basin.

During the meeting, which took place in the presence of the Kingdom’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Rome, Youssef Balla, Sadiki reiterated to the Spanish Minister the Kingdom’s commitment to food security issues at national and regional level, an urgent matter to which Morocco attaches the utmost importance.

Source: Agency Morocaine De Presse