Rome, (SANA)- Syrian Minister of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform Adel Safar said Thursday that the agricultural sector in Syria enjoys a special significance in service of the comprehensive and sustainable development with the aim of ensuring food security and advancing scientific agricultural researches and the process of production and marketing.

During his interposition to meetings of the 136th session of Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Safar indicted to the set of measures taken by the Syrian Government to support the agricultural sector, such as raising price of purchase of the strategic agricultural products, financial exemptions on agricultural loan interests and establishing a special fund for supporting agricultural products.

He asserted that agricultural development in the 10th five-year plan focuses on best and sustainable use of natural resources and it encourages investment in the agricultural sector.

Later, Minister Safar discussed with FAO Director General Jacques Diouf aspects of agricultural cooperation and joint projects undertaken by FAO in Syria as well as the studies and proposals to carry out other projects related to food security, organic agriculture, fighting dryness and climate changes.