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: www.icarda.org
10 May 2007
                             Media contact: Surendra Varma (s.varma@CGIAR.ORG)
 
Strengthening Ties with Ethiopia and Sudan
H.E. Addisa Legesse, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture in Ethiopia (right) and Dr Mahmoud Solh (left) Director General of ICARDA, discuss Ethiopia-ICARDA collaboration.
To further strengthen ICARDA's collaborative relationship with NARS in Sub-Saharan Africa, Dr Mahmoud Solh, Director General, visited Sudan (11-14 April) and Ethiopia (15-17 April), accompanied by Dr Khaled Makkouk, Regional Coordinator, NVRSRP. In Sudan, Dr Solh met with H.E. Abdelrahman Saeed, Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Azhari Hamada, Director General of the Agricultural Research Centre (ARC), and Dr El-Sadig Suleiman, DDG of ARC. The meeting led to significant strengthening of ICARDA-Sudan collaboration. Future efforts will focus more on Sudan's rainfed regions; and ICARDA will soon open an office in Khartoum. Dr Solh thanked H.E. Saeed for hosting ICARDA's current office in ARC's Shambat Station.
H.E. Abdelrahman Saeed (fourth right), Minister of Science and Technology; Dr Mahmoud Solh (fourth left); and Dr Azhari Hamada (second left), Director General, ARC, following a dinner reception in Khartoum, Sudan. Dr Khaled Makkouk, NVRSRP Regional Coordinator, is at third right.
In Sudan, Dr Solh also visited H.E. Gatullak Deng Garang, Minister of Animal Resources; H.E. Abdel Jabbar Osman, Minister of Agriculture for Khartoum State; Prof. El-Amin Dafallah Kasam El-Sayed, Chairman of the Agriculture and Animal Committee of the National Council (Parliament); Dr Tag El-Sir Mahgoub, Secretary General of the National Council for Strategic Planning; Dr Omer Abdel Wahab Abdallah, Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry; and H.E. Dr Eltigany Saleh Fedail, Minister of International Cooperation.

He also met with key officials in Khartoum University: Dr Mohamed Ahmed El-Sheikh, President; and Dr Siddig El-Hassan, Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture; and the Sudan University for Science and technology (the President and the Deans of Faculties of Agriculture, Forestry and Pastures, and Veterinary Medicine). These visits focused on strengthening collaboration in research and graduate studies.
Dr Mahmoud Solh (right) with H.E. Abdel Jabbar Osman (center), Minister of Agriculture, Khartoum State, discussing opportunities for collaboration.

Dr Solh also met with Dr Abdulla Tahir Bin Yehia, FAO Representative in Sudan. They agreed on the need to develop joint FAO-ICARDA projects to serve the rainfed regions of Sudan.

Dr Mohamed Ahmed El-Sheikh (center), President, Khartoum University, Dr Mahmoud Solh (second right), Dr Khaled Makkouk (right), and University staff discussed collaboration on research and graduate studies.

In Ethiopia, Dr Solh visited H.E. Addisa Legesse, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture. The discussion focused on how to strengthen ICARDA-Ethiopia collaboration in natural resources management, small ruminants, IPM in horticulture, and capacity building. Dr Solh also held talks with Dr Aberra Deresa, State Minister of Agriculture; Dr Fantaye Biftu, Senior Advisor to the Minister; and Dr Adhanom Negasie, Advisor to the Minister, Ministry of Trade and Industry. The discussions focused on a potential project on IPM in protected agriculture.
Dr Solh also visited the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR), where he was welcomed by Dr Solomon Asefa, Acting Director General, and Dr Seid Ahmed, Director of the Crops Division. A meeting was held with senior staff of EIAR to discuss potential areas of collaboration between ICARDA and EIAR. Dr Solh also made a field visit to Debre Zeit to review the activities of the Global Rust Initiative, especially wheat screening nurseries for resistance to black stem rust.

During the few hours he spent in Cairo, Dr Solh visited H.E. Amin Abaza, Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation; Dr Saad Nassar, Senior Advisor to the Minister; Dr Fadia Nosseir, Head of the International Relations Office of the MoA; Dr. Adel El-Beltagy, Chairman of the Agriculture Research and Development Council in Egypt; Dr Haniya El-Etribi, President of ARC; and Dr Ayman Abou Hadid, Vice President Research, ARC. All the meetings focused on how to further strengthen collaboration between ICARDA and Egypt, especially ARC.
 

About ICARDA: Established in 1977, ICARDA (www.icarda.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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