by Staff Reporter
May 20, 2013 (TSR) – An Investment and Arab Food Security Conference, organized by the Sudanese Businessmen and Employers Federation (SBOEF), in collaboration with the Arab Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), has opened here at the Al-Salam Rotana Hotel in Khartoum on Monday.
The conference, which is sponsored by President of the Republic Field Marshal Omer Al Bashir, witness wide participation of the Arab chambers of commerce, industry and agriculture and the institutions and financing funds and the companies and corporations concerned with the activity of Arab food security, and the Arab businessmen and investors.
The First Vice President of the Republic Ali Osman Mohamed Taha addressed the opening sitting of the conference that is held between 20-21 of May 2013.
Assistant to the President Nafie Ali Nafie, addressing the opening of the conference here Monday on behalf of President Omer Al-Bashir, called for partnerships among Arab countries in order to achieve food security, and stressed Sudan’s support for recommendations which would emerge from the conference.
The Chairman of the Sudanese Businessmen and Employers Federation, Saud Al-Berair, stressed the importance of the conference, which paves the way for familiarizing Arab businessmen and investors with the available opportunities for establishing projects in Sudan.
“It would boost the role of the private sector in implementing the initiative of President Al-Bashir on placing emphasis on participation in and organization of economic forums”, he added.
“The conference will also be an interactive platform for Arab investors, businessmen and women, and Arab financing institutions with an interest in advancing investment activities in agriculture and animal resources to explore the incentives and opportunities in Sudan and to discuss the obstacles facing Arab investors and curbing the reinforcement of their role in investing in Sudan and other Arab countries, ” Al-Berair noted.
Sudan’s News Agency, SUNA, learned that the conference program includes the developments of the international food crisis and its impacts on the Arab world as well as the effects of the climate changes on production rates, trade volumes and prices.
The Chairman of the Arab Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture, Adnan Al-Qassar, commended the move by President Al-Bashir to give priority to the issue of food security and efforts he exerted to achieve it.
The Director of the Economic Relations Department at the Arab League, speaking on behalf of the League’s Secretary-General, stressed that Sudan’s rich resources enabled it be the “food basket” for the Arab World.
