Saudi- Shoura wants sustainable development of agriculture 

(MENAFN - Arab News) The Shoura Council urged the Ministry of Agriculture yesterday to form a joint action plan in cooperation with universities and the private sector to promote sustainable development in agriculture.

The decision was taken by the council during its second regular session held under the chairmanship of Abdullah Al-Asheikh.

Shoura Council Secretary-General Muhammed Al-Ghamdi said the decision was taken when the annual report of the Ministry of Agriculture was examined by the council's housing, water and public services committee.

The members also suggested the Ministry of Agriculture chalk out its future strategy as soon as possible.

The house advised the ministry to concentrate on the ruling of the council of ministers to consider the development of farmers and investors in the agricultural sector if they are affected by any new agricultural policies.

On a recommendation made by the council's foreign affairs committee, the house approved the draft general agreement for cooperation between the Kingdom and Mauritania.

The draft convention aims to promote bilateral cooperation in economic, trade and investment and revitalization through the exchange of visits and holding of trade fairs. The convention also identified areas of cooperation in the fields of science, culture, youth and sports and also encouraged cooperation in the development of infrastructure in the fields of shipping, roads and communications.

During the reading of the annual report of King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, the house suggested that there should be an effective plan to transfer patients from public hospitals to KFSH.

It also said ways and means should be explored to work on the requirements for the expansion of fellowship programs and sub-specialties and expand the training base and on-the-job training to meet the growing requirements of health services in the Kingdom.

In a separate development, visiting German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle met with members of the Saudi-German Parliamentary Friendship Committee headed by Salem bin Ali Al-Qahtani.

During the meeting, they dwelt on issues of common interest and reviewed ways of boosting cooperation in all fields.

They also discussed ways of enhancing cooperation and work between the council and the German Parliament. The two sides also discussed ways to strengthen action and cooperation at parliamentary level and the importance of activating the role of parliamentary friendship committees in both countries in a way contributing to constructive efforts to serve both sides.