SAWT BEIRUT INTERNATIONAL

| 29 March 2024, Friday |

Mortada following up the issue of exporting to Kuwait

Minister of Agriculture in the caretaker government, Dr. Abbas Mortada, issued a letter of correspondence to the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, following up on the issue of exporting Lebanese products to the Arab Gulf states, explaining the situation and “the need to communicate with the Kuwaiti brothers, and inform them of the letter directed to the authority within the official diplomatic protocol.

Mortada’s move came after receiving a report from the Lebanese Commercial Attaché at the Lebanese Embassy in the State of Kuwait on the invitation of the General Authority for Food and Nutrition in Kuwait to a meeting aimed at examining the status of Lebanese food and agricultural exports to Kuwait and its eligibility.

In the same context, Mortada sent a letter to the General Authority for Food and Nutrition in Kuwait, in which he affirmed “Lebanon’s commitment to international food standards, especially those issued by the Codex Alimentarius,” and affirms that Lebanon has been a member of the Commission since its establishment, in addition to Lebanon’s signature on partnership agreement with the European Union and with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), and its compliance with the European Protocol in updating the regulations of registered agricultural pesticides that are allowed to be used and banned from using those banned from Europe, plus Lebanon’s commitment to most international standards on approved procedures for the quality of production and food hygiene.

He pointed out that “the laboratories of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Agricultural Scientific Research Authority are constantly updating the laboratory systems and their scientific and human sufficiency, in line with global updates that ensure the safety and quality of Lebanese products that are examined and approval to be exported, are in compliance with the  results of these advanced laboratories.”

Mortada concluded the book by affirming, “Lebanon’s keenness to coordinate and cooperate with all its brothers in the Arab countries, especially with regard to the safety of the products imported for their people as much as the safety of its people, committed to its membership in the Arab Facilitation Agreement and the Arab team specialized in food safety, standardization of Arab standards coordinated with international standards.” On behalf of the Lebanese Ministry of Agriculture, he stressed that it is “ready to provide clarifications and guarantees that confirm the safety of Lebanese products supplied to Arab countries, first and foremost Kuwait.”

On the other hand, Mortada contacted the Kuwaiti Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr. Abdullah Salman, in which he reassured that “Lebanon’s interest in the safety of the Kuwaiti people is no less than its concern for the safety of its people, and several axes were discussed in this regard, with an emphasis on striving to preserve and develop the distinguished and lasting relationship with Kuwait, that spared no effort to support Lebanon,  people and state.