The Union for the Mediterranean, presided over by Egypt and France, has decided to postpone the Euro-Mediterranean Agricultural Ministeries’ conference until November.
Al-Masry Al-Youm has learned that the sudden decision to postpone the event was a reaction to Israel’s assault on the Gaza aid flotilla last month. The assault caused dozens of casualties and left nine activists dead. Subsequently, many southern Mediterranean countries announced their refusal to take part in meetings with Israeli counterparts, even ministerial-level delegates.
The conference was scheduled to be held in Cairo this month and attended by 48 agriculture ministers of Euro-Mediterranean countries. Its purpose was to activate the Mediterranean Initiative, launched by the French President Nicolas Sarkozy, which aims to forge an alliance between Mediterranean countries in different areas of agriculture and commerce.
Major issues to be discussed include food security, joint investments, increasing cooperation in agricultural research, and technology transfers, especially with regards to farm irrigation and weather-resistant crops.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
