Pak-Netherlands bilateral relations to be further strengthened: Envoy
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FAISALABAD (APP): Deputy Head of Mission, Netherland Embassy in Islamabad, Renate Pors on Thursday said that Netherlands and Pakistan's bilateral relations would be further strengthened in educational and agricultural sectors to get benefit from each other experiences and fight common challenges.
She visited the University of Agriculture Faisalabad and met deans and director at the Syndicate Room.
She said Netherlands had high agricultural productivity and one of exporters of agricultural produces. Netherlands was enjoying good relations with Pakistan, she said and added that faculty-student exchange programmes were also being strengthened to get benefit from each others.
She said that ties between government-to-government, institution-to-institution and industry-to-industry would open up new avenue of progress. She lauded the steps being taken on the part of UAF for the agriculture and education sector.
She added that increment in agricultural production would help alleviate poverty and ensure food security. Netherland was situated below the sea level and they were worst hit by the climate changes, she said and added that multiple steps were being taken to fight the issue. She also said that in coming years, there would be new technologies exchanged between both the countries and long standing education programmes would be retained.
She said that Netherlands was working in the field of dairy with Pakistan. She also said that goats were in huge number in Pakistan and there should markets of cheese in Pakistan.
Faculty of Agriculture Dean Prof Dr Riaz Ahmad said that agriculture sector was the backbone of the Pakistan economy and contributing to 21 percent to the Gross Domestic Product.
He said that the UAF was making all-out effort to address the issues of agricultural sector at the national level. He said that UAF ties with the Netherlands institutions would help fight the common challenges. He said that the UAF was having 450 PhDs faculty members and most of them were having the international exposure.
Principal Officer Public Relations and Publications and Chairman Entomology Prof Dr Jalal Arif and Director ORIC Prof Dr Muhammad Aslam Mirza gave an overview of UAF.
