Concrete collaboration efforts to be expedited with revision of Korea-Qatar MOU on smart farm cooperation after 4 years
홍보담당관실
2023.11.24
258
Concrete collaboration efforts to be expedited with revision of Korea-Qatar MOU on smart farm cooperation after 4 years
On the occasion of the Korea-Qatar summit, a foundation has been established for collaborative projects and a working-level joint committee for practical implementation through the revision of the bilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on smart farm cooperation
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (Minister Chung Hwang-keun, MAFRA) announced that during the Korea-Qatar summit held in Doha, Qatar on October 25, the "Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Smart Farm Cooperation" was revised with the Qatari Autonomous Administration.
Korea and Qatar had initially signed the MOU on the occasion of the visit of Emir of Qatar to
Korea in 2019. However, due to factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic, progress of specific cooperation had been hindered. Recognizing the need to enhance practical cooperation, both countries found common ground to revise the MOU with further details, leading to the amendment of the MOU including more segmented collaboration areas during this summit.
The revised MOU now encompasses not only research and development-centric collaboration, but also includes specific details for collaborative projects such as the establishment of a smart agriculture technology complex, cultivation demonstrations, and substantial cooperation in the training and exchange of experts in the field of smart agriculture. Furthermore, both nations agreed to establish a director general-level joint committee to ensure the effective implementation of the MOU, expected to accelerate governmental cooperation in the future.
Among Middle Eastern countries, Qatar is highly interested in food security, aiming to overcome desert climates and increase self-sufficiency in food, especially in vegetables, through smart agriculture initiatives. With this revised MOU, strengthened government collaboration is expected to positively impact the export expansion of Korean smart farm companies wishing to enter the Qatari market.
Minister Chung Hwang-keun stated, "The revision of the MOU on smart farm cooperation with Qatar enables closer exchanges between our countries," expressing hope for the swift progress of smart agriculture cooperation between the two nations through the establishment of a joint working committee within the year.