عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Business

Saudi Arabia, Türkiye Strengthen Collaboration in Agriculture and Water Management

The MoU was signed in Riyadh. SPA
The MoU was signed in Riyadh. SPA
TT
TT

Saudi Arabia, Türkiye Strengthen Collaboration in Agriculture and Water Management

The MoU was signed in Riyadh. SPA
The MoU was signed in Riyadh. SPA

The Saudi Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture, Eng. Abdurrahman bin Abdul Mohsen Al-Fadhli, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Turkish Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı to strengthen cooperation and enhance production capabilities in agriculture, livestock, and water management.

During Sunday's signing ceremony of the MoU in Riyadh, the two parties expressed their commitment to preparing the agricultural sector in both countries for climate change.

They also pledged to introduce technologies in agriculture and crop production, develop the livestock sector, and strengthen plant and animal health, including their protection and safeguarding.

As per the MoU, the two parties will collaborate on the advancement of biotechnology, organic agriculture, fisheries, aquaculture, and the formulation of quality policies in the agricultural sector. Additionally, the agreement covers cooperation in agricultural water management, monitoring water pollution from agricultural activities, and optimizing water usage in agriculture.

Most Viewed

 
 
Business

Washington Urges Israel to Extend Cooperation with Palestinian Banks

A West Bank Jewish settlement is seen in the background, while a protestor waves a Palestinian flag during a protest against Israel's separation barrier in the West Bank village of Bilin in 2012. (AP)
A West Bank Jewish settlement is seen in the background, while a protestor waves a Palestinian flag during a protest against Israel's separation barrier in the West Bank village of Bilin in 2012. (AP)
TT
TT

Washington Urges Israel to Extend Cooperation with Palestinian Banks

A West Bank Jewish settlement is seen in the background, while a protestor waves a Palestinian flag during a protest against Israel's separation barrier in the West Bank village of Bilin in 2012. (AP)
A West Bank Jewish settlement is seen in the background, while a protestor waves a Palestinian flag during a protest against Israel's separation barrier in the West Bank village of Bilin in 2012. (AP)

The United States on Thursday called on Israel to extend its cooperation with Palestinian banks for another year, to avoid blocking vital transactions in the occupied West Bank.

"I am glad that Israel has allowed its banks to continue cooperating with Palestinian banks, but I remain convinced that a one-year extension of the waiver to facilitate this cooperation is needed," US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Thursday, on the sidelines of a meeting of G20 finance ministers in Rio de Janeiro.

In May, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich threatened to cut off a vital banking channel between Israel and the West Bank in response to three European countries recognizing the State of Palestine.

On June 30, however, Smotrich extended a waiver that allows cooperation between Israel's banking system and Palestinian banks in the occupied West Bank for four months, according to Israeli media, according to AFP.

The Times of Israel newspaper reported that the decision on the waiver was made at a cabinet meeting in a "move that saw Israel legalize several West Bank settlement outposts."

The waiver was due to expire at the end of June, and the extension permitted Israeli banks to process payments for salaries and services to the Palestinian Authority in shekels, averting a blow to a Palestinian economy already devastated by the war in Gaza.

The Israeli threat raised serious concerns in the United States, which said at the time it feared "a humanitarian crisis" if banking ties were cut.

According to Washington, these banking channels are key to nearly $8 billion of imports from Israel to the West Bank, including electricity, water, fuel and food.