Under the patronage and in the presence of His Excellency Mr. Alaa El-Din Farouk, Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation of the Arab Republic of Egypt, the League of Arab States' Arab Fund for Technical Assistance to African Countries launched a specialised agricultural workshop on 16 June.
Organised in cooperation with the African Union, the Egyptian Agricultural Research Centre, and the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa, the workshop aims to exchange expertise and enhance the capabilities of senior African agricultural professionals. It forms part of this year's technical assistance programme within a broader series of joint initiatives designed to improve the performance of the agricultural workforce across the African continent, strengthen food security, and foster the exchange of knowledge among African countries.
The opening ceremony was presided over by Minister Farouk and Ambassador Mohannad Saleh Lajouzi, Assistant Secretary-General of the League of Arab States and Director-General of the Arab Fund for Technical Assistance to African Countries. The event was also attended by Dr. Ahmed El-Maqqas, head of the African Union Office for Cereals and Dry Areas, and Dr. Adel Abdel Azim, head of Egypt's Agricultural Research Centre.
In his remarks, Minister Farouk asserted the significance of the workshop in advancing agricultural expertise and promoting African cooperation. He commended Egypt's central role in supporting agricultural development throughout the continent and expressed appreciation to the Arab Fund and the African Union for their contributions to the success of this initiative. The Minister also highlighted the achievements of Egypt's agricultural sector, particularly in improving the productivity of strategic crops, and reaffirmed the political leadership's commitment to supporting this vital sector.
Speaking on behalf of His Excellency Mr. Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Ambassador Lajouzi extended his gratitude to the Egyptian Minister of Agriculture for his patronage and attendance. He also thanked the Arab Republic of Egypt for hosting this distinguished group of experts. Ambassador Lajouzi reaffirmed the League of Arab States' continued support for the Fund's activities aimed at capacity-building in Africa, particularly in key sectors such as agriculture. He lauded the participating partners, especially the African Union, noting the longstanding cooperation between the two institutions.
Dr. El-Maqqas pointed to the value of the partnership between the Arab Fund and the African Union, expressing his appreciation to Egypt for hosting the workshop and for providing comprehensive technical and logistical support to ensure the success of the training programme. Dr. Abdel Azim also addressed the gathering, commending the importance of this event, which brings together senior agricultural officials from across Africa. He reiterated Egypt's commitment to sharing agricultural expertise with participating countries to promote the development of the sector across the continent.
