Lebanese Foreign Minister, Abdullah Bou Habib, proposed to the international community the possibility of cultivating wheat in Syria, particularly in the Beqaa Valley, explaining that this could contribute to sufficiency in some Arab countries.
In detail, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs organized a virtual ministerial conference on food security, jointly chaired by Italian, Lebanese, Turkish, and German officials, with participation from several countries and international organizations concerned with food security.
In his speech, Minister Abdullah Bou Habib emphasized "the necessity to stop the war in Ukraine and to pressure the parties involved in the crisis to facilitate the export of grains and other goods without delay." He pointed out Lebanon's suffering due to the influx of Syrian refugees and Palestinian displaced persons, noting that the international community continues to provide funding for consumption without focusing on investing in infrastructure, human resources, and production, which "makes refugees dependent on the international community instead of being independent."
Minister Bou Habib expressed his "gratitude for the new path taken by the UN envoy to Syria, Geir Pedersen, in coordination with the Syrian authorities to improve living conditions in Syria and facilitate the return of displaced persons from Lebanon, Jordan, and Turkey."
According to a statement from the Lebanese Foreign Ministry, Abdullah Bou Habib suggested to the international community to "explore the possibility of cultivating wheat in Syria, particularly since Syrian lands are known for their fertility, which could provide sufficient agricultural yield for Syria and neighboring Arab countries, as well as in the Beqaa Valley in Lebanon, with technical and financial support from the Food and Agriculture Organization."
