Tunisia’s Minister of Agriculture, Water Resources, and Fisheries Abdelmonem Belati has reached an agreement with his Saudi counterpart, Abdulrahman Alfadhli, to establish a joint working team tasked with preparing an executive program for bilateral cooperation in the water sector.
According to the channel “Nessma,” this agreement was reached during the meeting between the two ministers in Riyadh, on the sidelines of the third meeting of the International Date Council members held on Thursday.
Belati highlighted the challenges facing the agricultural sector due to the consequences of climate change and insufficient rainfall.
He emphasized that ensuring drinking water in the face of water scarcity is a priority for Tunisia, noting their focus on establishing desalination plants for seawater.
Regarding irrigation water, the Tunisian minister affirmed the use of treated water in agriculture by building the necessary infrastructure to transport it from urban areas to production zones.
He expressed Tunisia’s readiness to support joint investment with Saudi Arabia in the agricultural sector and create a conducive environment to enhance this cooperation.
On his part, the Saudi Minister of Environment, Water, and Agriculture expressed his country’s readiness to implement cooperation projects in this field.
This agreement signifies a step towards addressing water-related challenges and fostering collaboration between Tunisia and Saudi Arabia in the vital water sector.