Syria and Pakistan decide to establish a cooperative working group to advance agricultural cooperation.

As Islamabad looks to enhance its cooperation with Damascus, Pakistan’s food ministry announced on Wednesday that the two countries have decided to establish a Joint Working Group to expedite cooperation in agricultural research, new farming methods, and water resource management.

In Islamabad, Syria’s ambassador to Pakistan, Dr. Ramez Alraee, met with Food Security Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain to discuss enhancing bilateral cooperation in commerce, agriculture, and cultural exchanges.

In recent years, Pakistan has aimed to increase economic and trade ties with Syria. Muhammad Aurangzeb, the finance minister of Pakistan, met with Alraee last week and expressed the expectation that the easing of US sanctions will lead to more chances for bilateral business and commerce.

In order to expedite and formalize cooperation, the two parties decided to establish a Joint Working Group that will investigate useful areas of cooperation, such as capacity building, modern farming methods, water resource management, and agricultural trade facilitation, according to a statement from Pakistan’s food ministry.

According to Hussain, Pakistan is prepared to impart its knowledge and offer Syria technical assistance in the areas of contemporary agricultural and food security measures. He pointed out that such programs will support regional prosperity and sustainable development in addition to increasing bilateral trade.

Assuring Syria’s willingness to collaborate closely with Pakistan in areas of mutual interest, Ambassador Dr. Ramez Alraee praised Pakistan’s ongoing support and welcomed the idea of forming a Joint Working Group, according to the statement.

Pakistan’s economy is based primarily on agriculture, which accounts for about 23% of its GDP. Approximately 37.4% of the workforce is employed by it, as reported by the Food and Agriculture Organization.