TEHRAN- The Deputy Minister of Agriculture for Water and Soil Affairs announced the development of new technical cooperation in the water and soil sector aimed at protecting fundamental resources and utilizing modern global technologies in agriculture between Iran and Italy.

According to a report by IRNA from the Ministry of Agriculture, Safdar Niazi Shahraki stated at a joint webinar meeting between the Department of Water and Soil of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Italian Agricultural Association: This meeting is in line with the implementation of macro-policies for ensuring food security and sustainable production, protecting fundamental resources, safeguarding water and soil, and achieving the goals of updating and using modern global technologies in this sector.

While presenting a report on the status of the country's agricultural lands and irrigation methods and rates, the official stated: Soil is the foundation of food security, sustainable production, and the continuation of life.

Niazi, while emphasizing the need to create a balance between water, soil, and the environment as necessary components for sustainable production, said: Improving water productivity, smart agricultural technologies, salinity management and soil salinity control, and water desalination are among the most important issues considered by this department for establishing areas of cooperation with the Italian side.

He invited the Italian delegation to visit Iran and see the country's water and soil achievements and capacities.

Stefano Ianiri, the head of the Italian Agricultural Association, referring to the capacities of the Italian Agricultural Association in scientific, research, and software fields, appreciated this opportunity and provided explanations regarding the association's activities.

In this webinar meeting, Safdar Niazi Shahraki, Stefano Ianiri, Kianirad, representative and permanent ambassador of Iran to the FAO, and a group of managers and specialists in the water and soil sector, as well as representatives from the country's Soil and Water Research Institute, were present.

In this meeting, the two sides, utilizing their scientific, specialized, and executive capacities, emphasized the start of joint cooperation in the fields of smart farming, precision agriculture, and the use of modern technologies in the management of water resources, biofertilizers, and water desalination for agricultural and greenhouse uses, and two companies out of 19 private sector companies present at the webinar introduced themselves and their specialized activities.

Finally, the two sides agreed that after initial summaries, subsequent meetings would be held continuously in a specialized format with the presence of relevant offices.

EF/MA