The Arab Republic of Egypt, in cooperation with the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) and under the organization of the National Gene Bank at the Agricultural Research Center, hosted the Near East Regional Preparatory Meeting from 4 to 5 November 2025, in preparation for the Eleventh Meeting of the Governing Body of the ITPGRFA.
Representatives from the following countries participated in the meeting: Libya, Sudan, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, Yemen, Qatar, Djibouti, Saudi Arabia, in addition to Egypt and the Treaty Secretariat (Mr. Mario and Mr. Tobias). The opening ceremony was attended by Prof. Dr. Hania Abbas El-Atreby, Former President of the Agricultural Research Center and Advisor to the National Gene Bank, and Prof. Dr. Mohamed El-Sherbiny, Director of the Regional Center for Food and Feed, ARC. Other countries also participated online. The meeting was chaired by Prof. Dr. Nevin Abdel Fattah Hassan, Director of the National Gene Bank, who opened the meeting by welcoming the distinguished participants and wishing them a pleasant stay in the Arab Republic of Egypt. The delegates of the participating countries then delivered their statements, followed by discussions according to the meeting’s agenda. The Treaty Secretariat and the country representatives expressed their sincere appreciation and gratitude to the Arab Republic of Egypt for hosting the meeting, praising the excellent organization, warm hospitality, and overall conducive atmosphere. The Secretariat representatives also toured the seed storage facilities, the ornamentals and woody plants greenhouse, and the fruit trees genetic collection at the National Gene Bank.
