I C A R D A    N e w s

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: www.icarda.cgiar.org
For more information contact: Dr Surendra Varma (s.varma@CGIAR.ORG)
 
 
1 September 2005
King Abdullah II of Jordan Honors ICARDA Director General
On behalf of His Majesty King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein of Jordan, H.E. Mr Akel Biltagi (left), a senior member of the Royal Court of Jordan and Adviser to the King, presented the Al-Istiklal (independence) medal, to Prof. Dr Adel El-Beltagy, Director General of ICARDA, at the Center's headquarters.
On 7 August 2005, His Majesty King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein of Jordan honored Prof. Dr Adel El-Beltagy, Director General of ICARDA, by conferring on him the Al-Istiklal (independence) medal, one of the highest decorations in Jordan. On behalf of the King, H.E. Mr Akel Biltagi, a senior member of the Royal Court of Jordan and Adviser to the King, decorated Prof. Dr El-Beltagy with the medal at ICARDA headquarters. Prof. Dr Alia El-Beltagy, wife of Prof. Dr Adel El-Beltagy; Dr Nawar Biltagi, wife of H.E. Mr Akel Biltagi; and a large number of ICARDA staff members were present to witness the royal ceremony.

In his introductory speech, H.E. Mr Biltagi said the King recognizes Prof. Dr El-Beltagy as an "outstanding person who has dedicated his life to the cause of humanity," and had planned to decorate him with the Al-Istiklal medal at the King's Palace during Prof. El-Beltagy's recent visit to Jordan to participate in a meeting of Arab Ministers of Agriculture. But the ceremony had to be postponed for reasons beyond the King's control.
H.E. Mr Akel Biltagi (left) handing over the Royal citation to Prof. Dr Adel El-Beltagy.
H.E. Mr Biltagi said Jordan, which is 92% arid, needs ICARDA most, as the Center's research deals with “the root of life,” and that he was greatly impressed by the work and achievements of the Center. He noted that the ICARDA Director General and staff are supporting Jordan in several areas of agricultural research; helping Jordan develop linkages with other communities in research; putting Jordan as a priority and Jordan's priority issues among the Center's priorities; promoting the image of Jordan in agricultural research; and building capacity and human resources in the country. He said that Jordan was privileged to host the office of ICARDA's West Asia Regional Program.

H.E. Mr Biltagi then read the royal citation (translated from Arabic):
In the name of God Most Gracious Most Merciful:
In recognition of the good qualities of Prof. Dr Adel El-Beltagy, Director General of ICARDA, of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), and his distinguished efforts in supporting agricultural projects in our prosperous Kingdom; and on the occasion of the Kingdom's celebrations of the Arbor Day, I, who lives under the blessings of God, Abdullah bin Al-Hussein, the King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, award him the Istiklal decoration of the second class, and order to present this award from our Royal Hashemite Secretariat Office.

After reading the citation, H.E. Mr Biltagi decorated Prof. Dr Adel El-Beltagy with the royal medal.
In his response, Prof. Dr El-Beltagy said he felt highly honored to accept the medal. He commended King Abdullah II for striving to make Jordan a center of knowledge and for increasing the intellectual capacity of his people; and for his concern about how the whole region could be revived in terms of the code of conduct and code of ethics of high value. He also commended him for striving to put the region in its rightful position. He said Jordan's contribution intellectually has been meaningful and has great potential for the future. He conveyed his high respects to the King.
H.E. Mr Akel Biltagi (third left, front row) and his wife Dr Nawar Biltagi (second left, front row); Prof. Dr Adel El-Beltagy (fourth right, front row) and his wife Prof. Dr Alia El-Beltagy (third right, front row); and senior management committee members of ICARDA.
He concluded by saying that ICARDA's work in Jordan is increasing and that ICARDA is working hard to inject new technology and indigenous knowledge to make a difference in the lives of the people of the whole region. Jordan faces the challenge of being the most water-scarce country in the region. The average water share worldwide is 7000 m3/person/year, but it has dropped to 180 m3/person/year in Jordan. Our researchers are working to improve the genetic make-up of plants to produce more with less water. This research is particularly relevant to Jordan.

Prof. Dr El-Beltagy then thanked His Royal Majesty's representative and his wife for coming to ICARDA to honor him, and urged him to convey his gratitude to the King and inform him that ICARDA scientists, representing over 52 nationalities, are committed to the mission of improving agricultural production and protecting natural resources in the dry areas, especially Jordan.

H.E. Mr Biltagi and his wife Dr Nawar Biltagi were given a tour of ICARDA facilities by Prof. Dr El-Beltagy, DG, and Dr William Erskine, ADG(R), before the medal awarding ceremony.

About ICARDA: Established in 1977, ICARDA (www.icarda.cgiar.org) serves the entire developing world for the improvement of barley, lentil, and faba bean; and dry-area developing countries for the on-farm management of water, improvement of nutrition and productivity of small ruminants (sheep and goats), and rehabilitation and management of rangelands. In the Central and West Asia and North Africa (CWANA) region, ICARDA is responsible for the improvement of durum and bread wheats, chickpea, pasture and forage legumes and farming systems; and for the protection and enhancement of the natural resource base of water, land, and biodiversity.

The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) (www.cgiar.org) is a strategic alliance of countries, international and regional organizations, and private foundations supporting15 international research centers that mobilizes cutting-edge science to promote sustainable development by reducing hunger and poverty, improving human nutrition and health, and protecting the environment.
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