Takac: We're Looking for Solutions to Drought, Israel Serves as Inspiration

Bratislava, 20 October (TASR) - Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Richard Takac (Smer-SD) met Israeli Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Slovakia Jacob Zvi Yanovsky, the ministry's communications department told TASR on Tuesday, adding that they discussed opportunities for deepening bilateral cooperation, particularly in the fields of water technologies, agriculture and adaptation to climate change. Slovakia and Israel see scope for further developing their mutual cooperation. According to Takac, one of the promising areas is water management and the use of modern technologies in agriculture. "Israel is among the world leaders in water management and water technologies. That's precisely why the discussion was so inspiring and useful for us. We also want to look at the experiences of countries that have had to cope with water scarcity over the long term and have managed to turn this challenge into an opportunity for technological innovation," said Takac. The Agriculture Ministry added that the meeting also ties in directly with the work of the National Commission for Water and Drought, which has the role of bringing together experts, state institutions and individual sectors in the search for systemic solutions to the problems of drought and water scarcity. The Agriculture Minister will also present the conclusions and proposals from the meeting with the Israeli Ambassador to the members of the National Commission for Water and Drought. The aim will be to identify areas in which specific technical cooperation could be established. am/mcs