(Beirut, 1st of September): In a one-day visit to Beirut, FAO Deputy Director-General, Maurizio Martina; FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Near East and North Africa, Abdul Hakim Elwaer; Director of FAO’s Office of Emergency and Resilience, Rein Paulsen; Piergiorgio Trentinaglia, Chief Security, FAO Representative in Lebanon, Nora Ourabah Haddad and Etienne Careme, FAO Lebanon Liaison and Resilience Officer met with key partners to strengthen collaboration and foster transformative initiatives.
The delegation held meetings with the Prime Minister of Lebanon, H.E. Nawaf Salam, and the Minister of Agriculture, H.E. Nizar Hani, to discuss issues of mutual interest. FAO officials reiterated the Organization’s continued support for Lebanon, emphasizing that its engagement extends beyond immediate relief, aiming to ensure that emergency assistance leads to recovery and long-term resilience.
Martina, Elwaer and Paulsen also reaffirmed their solidarity with the people of Lebanon and their full commitment to supporting the Government in tackling urgent challenges.
The visit also provided an opportunity for in-depth exchanges with the Ambassador of the European Union to Lebanon, H.E Sandra De Waele; Chargé d’Affaires a.i., Embassy of Italy, Silvia Tosi; Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Switzerland in Lebanon, Vincent Pasquier; Deputy Head of Mission; UK Office for Syria, Mary Shockledge the Executive Secretary of United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, Rola Dashti; andDeputy Special Coordinator, Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator, Imran Riza.
Discussions focused on exploring opportunities for strengthened partnerships and identifying how enhanced collaboration could contribute to better nutrition and agrifood systems transformation.
Partnerships are at the heart of FAO’s vision to build agrifood systems that are more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable— delivering better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life for all, leaving no one behind. By strengthening partnerships, FAO is facilitating the realization of a shared vision for Lebanon’s agricultural transformation, fostering long-term food security, economic stability, and rural development.
About the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Our goal is to achieve food security for all and make sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. With 195 members – 194 countries and the European Union, FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide.
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