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Ailyn Agonia
Doha
AMBASSADOR of the Kingdom of Netherlands to Qatar HE Dr Bahia Tahzib-Lie said Qatar and the Netherlands are actively exploring more cooperation especially in the field of agriculture and food security following the visit of Qatar's minister of municipality and environment to the Netherlands last month.
The Dutch official said during the meeting between the Minister of Municipality and Environment of Qatar HE Mohamed bin Abdullah al Rumaihi and the Netherlands Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality Carola Schouten both countries agreed to work more closely in strengthening the agricultural sector of Qatar, both in size and in efficiency.
Rumaihi also visited Wageningen University, which is widely regarded as the world's top agricultural research institution and a centre for agricultural technology start-ups and experimental farms, according to the envoy.
"The Netherlands is the world's second largest exporter of agricultural products and the largest supplier of plants and trees. The agricultural sector in the Netherlands is strongly committed to sustainable agriculture and a large output with as little resources as possible. Since 2000, many farmers have reduced their dependence on water for key crops by as much as 90 percent. And some farmers have almost completely eliminated the use of chemical pesticides on plants in greenhouses."
"So, the Netherlands is a world leader in innovative agricultural solutions including for innovative approaches in challenging climates. Dutch companies are eager to share knowledge and expertise in the field of food security and horticulture. My embassy serves as a gateway to encourage and facilitate increased cooperation and contribute to the initiatives in Qatar to work towards self-sufficiency," Ambassador Tahzib-Lie told Qatar Tribune in a recent interview.
The official further underscored the interest of Dutch companies in sharing their expertise with Qatar in agriculture as seen in their participation in a horticulture event organised by the Netherlands Embassy in Qatar in September. A group of companies from the Netherlands visited Qatar on the occasion to offer high-tech solutions that can help Qatar to deal with the challenging climatic conditions.
Similarly, Ambassador Tahzib-Lie highlighted the participation of at least nine top companies from the Netherlands in the 6th edition of Qatar International Agricultural Exhibition 2018 (AgriteQ).
The envoy also underlined the potential of further partnership between the Netherlands and Qatar in health care citing the strengths of the Netherlands in the global life sciences health industry, with a strong technological position in molecular imaging, medical informatics, biopharmaceuticals and medical technology.
In the field of education, she said several MoUs were signed between Qatar universities and Dutch universities such as University of Groningen and Maastricht University. This also includes an MoU signed between Hague Institute for Global Justice and the Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) last year on cooperation in the field of international justice. She also mentioned the strong presence of Stenden University in Qatar and its partnership with Faisal Holding to provide International Business, Tourism and Hospitality Management degrees with more than 500 alumni graduates.
While in the field of culture, the Dutch official proudly highlighted the influence of Dutch agriculture and designing interiors in various landmarks across Qatar including the Qatar National Library and the Qatar Foundation headquarters.
