Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi, speaks to supporters at his election campaign event in Tel Aviv, Israel, September 15, 2019. Photo: REUTERS/Amir Cohen.

JNS.org – Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi on Wednesday signed a cooperation agreement between the Israeli Agency for International Development and Cooperation and the Nepalese Agriculture Ministry, seeking to bolster cooperation in the field.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday that the agreement includes the establishment of an Israel-Nepal agricultural excellence center, which will “demonstrate advanced Israeli agricultural technologies suited to the climate and terrain conditions in Nepal.”

The center, which will be based on Israeli agrotechnologies and equipment, will be the most advanced of its kind in Nepal, the statement said, adding that it also aims to “contribute both to the promotion of Israeli exports and to the expansion of the agricultural sector in Nepal.”

The Israeli agency, MASHAV, will consult with its partners in Nepal on the process of establishing and operating the center.

MASHAV director Gil Haskel said, “The Foreign Ministry continues to expand Israel’s cooperation with the international community despite the challenges caused by the corona pandemic.

“This new agreement will strengthen the relations between the two countries. Israeli technologies will help Nepal develop its agricultural sector and overcome the food crisis caused by the pandemic that is plaguing the developing countries of the world. At the same time, the agreement will contribute to an increase in Israeli exports.”