Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation Ezz el Din Abu Steit discussed in a meeting with his Spanish counterpart Luis Planas ways of boosting bilateral cooperation in the agriculture field, especially in the cultivation of olives in Egypt.

During the meeting, held on the sidelines of the International Olive Council in Madrid, Abu Steit invited Planas to visit Egypt and get acquainted with its potentials to promote the cultivation of olives, the Agriculture Ministry said in a statement.

For his part, the Spanish minister welcomed the invitation and called for outlining a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to boost cooperation in the agricultural field, the statement added.

Meanwhile, Abu Steit probed with Tunisian Agriculture Minister Samir Taieb means of fostering cooperation between the two countries' private sectors in olive oil production, in addition to exchanging experience in the research area.

In a related context, Abu Steit stressed that Egypt has a plan to increase the production and cultivation of olives in desert lands, the statement read.

MENA