Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou made a two-day working visit to Israel for contacts in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation on agriculture, water management, circular economy and environmental protection, according to a press release by the Ministry of Agriculture.
The Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment held meetings with counterparts and relevant authorities to seek practical solutions for common challenges facing both countries.
Panayiotou met Israeli Agriculture and Food Security Minister Avi Dichter to examine areas of common interest including agricultural production, food security, research and technological innovation at a time when climate change directly affects the primary sector. The ministers discussed prospects for revising the existing 1994 Cooperation Agreement to respond to modern needs and challenges.
The minister also met Environment Protection Minister Idit Silman to exchange views on policies covering waste management, circular economy principles, green infrastructure, protection and management of protected areas, and promoting a regional climate action initiative.
Panayiotou called the visit “very productive”, noting that “the two countries, Cyprus and Israel, share common challenges but also common opportunities to find solutions to the common problems we face”.
The minister highlighted meetings with her two counterparts in agriculture and environment. “What we have jointly decided is a series of joint initiatives and actions regarding food security and sufficiency, cooperation on water management issues—both for drinking water and irrigation—issues related to protected areas management, and highlighting and relaunching the regional climate initiative,” she said.
Panayiotou stressed Cyprus’s goal is “to find those solutions immediately” and “to immediately utilise the technology and good practices that exist here, so we can take another step forward to improve the quality of life for our citizens and future generations”.
The visit included meetings and technical presentations with institutional and scientific bodies. The programme featured visits to the Heria Recycling Facility and Park Ariel Sharon, where officials presented a model for restoring a former landfill into a hub of ecological regeneration, environmental rehabilitation and sustainable resource utilisation.
The minister was briefed by Israel’s National Water Authority on strategies for water resource management, desalination, water reuse, and digital tools for monitoring hydrological data and water quality and availability security. Officials also briefed her on water sector governance, which Cyprus is studying.
The parties agreed cooperation will continue at technical level to further explore tools and practices that can effectively address Cyprus’s water challenges.
Panayiotou was accompanied by Andreas Grigoriou, Director General of Agriculture and Rural Development; Kornilios Korniliou, Cyprus Ambassador to Israel; Marios Adamides, head of her office; and a senior Environment Department officer.
The Cypriot delegation was also scheduled to visit Palestine, the press release said.
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