The Israeli and African officials at Jerusalem’s Agricultural conference. Photo: MASHAV Israel.

JNS.org – A delegation of over a dozen African officials gathered in Jerusalem on Monday as part of a three-day agricultural summit.

The conference — titled “Enhancing Sustainable Agricultural Productivity in Arid and Semi-Arid Regions,” and sponsored by MASHAV, Israel’s international development agency — is being attended by seven agricultural ministers and other high-level officials from the 15 nations that make up the Economic Community of Western African States (ECOWAS).

“During the conference, the ministers and delegates will learn about agricultural technology produced in Israel, with an emphasis on dealing with arid climatic conditions, a topic which African agriculture ministers are particularly interested in due to a similar climate prevailing in their countries,” said Jonathan Blum, a spokesperson for Israeli Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel, the Times of Israel reported.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry said that the summit, which is being held in an environment of growing Israeli-African relations, constitutes a “fertile ground for the further development of relations both on political and economic levels.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made improving relations with African nations a priority. Last summer Netanyahu visited four countries in East Africa and has announced plans to visit West Africa sometime next year.