(Photo: PPA)
Nagkasundo ang Pilipinas at Israel na paigtingin pa ang ugnayan sa larangan ng agrikultura, water management, maging ang direct flights sa pagitan ng dalawang bansa.
Sa pulong nina Pangulong Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. at Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, sinabi ng huli na handang makipagtulungan ang Israel para makamit ng punong ehekutibo ang minimithing food security para sa bansa.
“I think that we can work together on the segment of agriculture. I just let you know that our land, 60 percent of our land is desert. But although 60 percent of our land is desert, we were able to provide all our water needs,” pahayag ni Cohen.
“And I think that we can work together and let’s say that less import, more export for the Philippines. And I think that we can work together,” dagdag ni Cohen.
Sinabi pa ni Cohen na malaki rin ang maitutulong ng Israel sa Pilipinas sa water management lalot malawak ang karanasan ng kanilang bansa sa naturang usapin.
Dagdag ni Cohen, matagal nang ginagawa ng Israel ang pag-reuse o paggamit muli sa malaking bahagi ng water resources.
Maari aniyang bumisita sa Pilipinas ang mga Israeli expert para magbigay ng payo sa water management.
Sa panig ni Pangulong Marcos, sinabi nito hanga siya sa advancement ng Israel pagdating sa sektor ng agrikultura.
“Because when we look at the economy as hard to just test, we said how do we fix the economy. It always comes down to agriculture first, how to fix every policy, then everything else would be great. So that’s the position that we find ourselves in,” pahayag ni Pangulong Marcos.
“So, the offers that you make for assistance and partnership in those two areas are very, very welcome,” dagdag ng Pangulo.
Sabi ng Pangulo, tinitingnan ng Pilipinas ang Israel at Singapore na mayroong best practices sa water management.
Idinagdag naman ni Cohen na mahalaga na magkaroon ng direct flight sa pagitan ng Pilipinas at Israel para mapalakas pa ang turismo at economic ties.
“There’s another thing that we, both of us, took for an action item – (it) is to have a direct flight… your external sea between Israel and the Philippines,” pahayag ni Cohen.
“And I think that we agree that both ministries will work together to have the direct flight and this is also to bring more business people to come to invest and reach the place between us. So this is also another important action item that we will do,” dagdag ni Cohen.