Egypt's Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation Alaa Farouk met with the Director of the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari (CIHEAM Bari) Maurizio Raeli to explore ways to enhance scientific cooperation in agricultural research between the institute and Egypt's Agricultural Research Centre. The meeting took place on the sidelines of Bari's high-level regional conference in Italy, in support of the FAO's NENA plant health strategy. Both sides agreed on the importance of signing a proposed memorandum of understanding between CIHEAM and the Agricultural Research Centre. The agreement would allow Egyptian researchers in national research institutions to pursue master's and doctoral degrees through scholarships offered by CIHEAM, in addition to launching joint agricultural research projects aimed at strengthening the skills and capacities of Egyptian scientists. Raeli also expressed a strong interest in organising a major event in Egypt to celebrate Egyptian alumni who have studied at CIHEAM over the years. Minister Farouk welcomed the idea and suggested hosting the event in one of Egypt's tourist cities. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English Subediting: M. S. Salama
