SUVA, 27 AUGUST 2018 (PACNEWS) – The Israeli Government wants to form a Pacific-Israel Rim at the upcoming Pacific Islands Forum meeting in Nauru so they can offer new ideas for water management, food security, innovative technology, alongside with initiatives for strengthening existing cooperation.
Ambassador of Israel to Pacific Countries Tibor Shalev-Schlosser in an exclusive interview with PACNEWS said the formation of the Rim is with the goal to bring Pacific Island Governments and her people to a level of self-sufficiency.
Ambassador Scholosser said whilst there are no concrete figures related to the assistance in the Pacific the assistance should not be assessed in quantity but its unique quality, which stems from their vast experience as a small developing country and like the Pacific they too have had their fair share of challenges and have devised strategies to overcome them.
“Israel presents its unique experience in the field of agriculture and water management for the benefit of the islanders, for example the drip irrigration system, which is studied and applied throughout the world and also in some Pacific Islands, enabling enormous savings in water and the efficient use of it in agricultural farms that supply fresh vegetables, fruit and dairy products to the local market,” he said.
Ambassador Schlosser said Israel shoulders with the people the Pacific the great challenge of combating climate change effects, especially the challenge of the rising sea levels and droughts.
Israel is a signatory to the Paris Agreement and other relevant agreements, participates and shares its experience in meetings and conferences in the field.
It has further integrated the subject of the climate challenges in its training courses in a variety of fields and is sharing with Pacific Islanders its rich experience in water management, food security, health and in other relevant fields and Israel wants to remain a partner in the effort to strengthen the resilience of the Islanders in training and equipment.
On accepting climate change refugees from the Pacific into the Promised Land, Ambassador Schlosser said leaving homeland was difficult and painful.
“Unfortunately, the people of Israel has experienced this too often in our long history. Therefore, Israel strongly hopes that it would be possible to strengthen the capabilities and capacity of the Pacific Islands to effectively combat climate change and to prevent the need for people from different islands to migrate from their homes and villages,” he said.
With Tel Aviv the Middle East’s thriving tech hub like America’s Silicon Valley, Ambassador Schlosser said the latest innovations and start-ups in the field of communication and information technology can help the Pacific with its growth nexus.
“Some Israeli companies have become interested in business opportunities in the Pacific region in recent years and Israel is ready to assist in the development of the field in a transparent cooperation while taking into consideration the needs and sensitivities of the different Pacific countries, ” he said.
