Manama: Under the Kingdom of Bahrain's presidency of the 46th session of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Wael bin Nasser Al Mubarak, Minister of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture, chaired the 38th meeting of the GCC Committee for Cooperation in Agriculture and Food Security. Minister Al Mubarak affirmed that the Kingdom of Bahrain, under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, continues to develop the agricultural sector, enhance food security and ensure the sustainability of supply chains through supporting local production, expanding the use of modern agricultural technologies, and supporting Bahraini farmers.
According to Bahrain News Agency, the minister highlighted the importance of continuing to develop GCC cooperation and coordination in supply chains, agricultural and livestock production, and food safety, while benefiting from shared expertise and capabilities to enhance the preparedness of GCC countries and support the sustainability of food security systems. The minister also emphasized the role of unifying relevant GCC legislation and regulations in strengthening integration among GCC countries and facilitating the movement of agricultural and livestock goods and products, while improving the efficiency of procedures and levels of protection and safety in line with scientific and technical developments.
The meeting's agenda included reviewing and developing several unified GCC legislations, foremost among them the Pesticides Law, the Executive Regulations of the Fertilisers and Soil Conditioners Law, and the Executive Regulations of the Veterinary Quarantine Law. The meeting also addressed the Genetic Resources Bank, the GCC Food Security Strategy, and the exchange of expertise and experiences in agricultural, livestock, and food security fields. The ministers approved several decisions on the agenda, in preparation for referring them to the GCC Supreme Council. They also discussed a number of joint topics and initiatives in the fields of agricultural cooperation and food security.