ICARDA News

INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH IN THE DRY AREAS
P.O. Box 5466, Aleppo, Syria
Phone: (963-21) 2213433, 2213477, 2225112, 2225012
Fax: (963-21) 2213490, 2225105; E-mail: ICARDA@CGIAR.ORG
Website: http://www.icarda.cgiar.org

H.E. Mr Peter Ford, the new British Ambassador to Syria, visited ICARDA on 6 November to familiarize himself with the work and achievements of the Center. On behalf of Prof. Dr Adel El-Beltagy, DG, Dr Mohan C. Saxena, ADG (At-Large) and Dr William Erskine, ADG (Research), welomed Ambasador Ford to ICARDA and briefed him on the mandate and mission of the Center and its achievements, particularly those supported by the U.K. They also presented to him a set of key publications of ICARDA. Ambassador Ford was accompanied by Mr Alexander Akras, Honorary Consul, Aleppo British Consulate.
     The distinguished visitors had a luncheon meeting with Drs Saxena and Erskine and other Management Committee members. During the meeting they watched the ICARDA video and discussed ICARDA's on-going and future research projects. Dr Erskine then gave them a tour of ICARDA facilities, including the research laboratories. Ineresting discussions took place between ICARDA scientists and Ambassador Ford during the tour. Dr Saxena invited him to visit the Center again, during the upcoming Annual Presentation Day in April 2004.
     Before leaving, Ambassador Ford thanked ICARDA for its hospitality and appreciated the research efforts of the Center to promote agricultural research and development in the dry areas of the world.

ICARDA's (www.icarda.org) mission is to improve the welfare of people and alleviate poverty through research and training in dry areas of the developing world by increasing production, productivity, and nutritional quality of food, while preserving and enhancing the natural resource base. ICARDA is a Future Harvest Center.