Minister of Industry in the caretaker government, George Bouchikian, began his official visit to the Belgian capital, Brussels, with a meeting with Claire Bury, the Director General of the European Commission for Health and Food Safety, in the presence of Lebanon's permanent representative to the European Union, Ambassador Fadi Hajj Ali. The discussion focused on the export of Lebanese food products to the European Union, highlighting the priority the Ministry of Industry places on ensuring the safety and quality of Lebanese food industries and guaranteeing the implementation of traceability systems and compliance with specifications. Bouchikian emphasized the need to "facilitate the entry of Lebanese food products and increase exports to the European market." He considered that "this will help the Lebanese economy to grow, attract investment in new industrial institutions, create job opportunities in various regions, and achieve sustainable development and balanced growth."
The attendees agreed on the necessity of removing obstacles hindering the entry of certain products, especially those that are composite and contain animal products. A roadmap for the implementation of this issue was agreed upon. Bouchikian and his accompanying delegation then met with European policy and legislation expert Ingrid Morfven to review what the European program AGRIINFO can offer to Lebanese industrialists in the food sector, as well as to facilitate access to information related to new legislation issued periodically by the European Union, which may have a direct impact on the entry of Lebanese products into Europe. Several initiatives that will be launched in this regard were also agreed upon.
