BILATERAL RELATIONS BETWEEN GREECE AND OTHER COUNTRIES

IN AGRICULTURAL AND RURAL SECTOR

MEDITERRANEAN COUNTRIES

1. ISRAEL

The Agreement on bilateral co-operation in the agricultural sector was signed in Jerusalem (07.10.1991) and covers sub-sectors such as land improvement, aquaculture In addition, scholarships were granted to Bulgarian students for the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania and seminars on the Common Agricultural policy have been organised, and fishery, pasture, food technology, animal husbandry and veterinary practice, forestry, environment, research and marketing.

A Joint Committee of agricultural experts was set up, in the framework of the above Agreement, in Athens (21-22.07.1993). During the consultations, the two sides set out their priorities but no substantial progress was made towards the implementation and enforcement of the bilateral co-operation.

During the «AGRITECH 99» exhibition, the Greek Minister of Agriculture visited Israel (05-09.09.1999), after an invitation of his counterpart Minister. Both Ministers agreed on the necessity of activating the co-operation Agreement by convening the joint Greek-Israeli Committee once per year, in order to plan and specify the particular aims and interests of each country’s administration.

The Greek side stressed out its interest in irrigation projects (new technologies in water saving, improvement of the quality of irrigation waters, cultivating methods for aquaculture - horticulture and flower production, processing of agricultural products, and juice-making from citrus fruits).

However, no initiative has been taken so far, given the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as well as the continuous crisis, Israel is faced with.

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