The event, co-sponsored by the Slovenian embassy, was held on Thursday at the Plant Protection Research Institute in Dokki.

The project continued last year's collaboration between the Agricultural Research Centre and the Slovenian embassy when more than 100 honey plants were planted at the Plant Protection Research Institute. This fostered cooperation between Slovenia and Egypt on beekeeping and environmental protection.

During his speech, Ambassador of Slovenia to Egypt Sašo Podlesnik emphasized, among other things, the importance of bees as pollinators for global food security.

"Every third spoon of food we eat depends on them," noted Podlesnik.

He also underlined that the 2017 United Nations declaration of World Bee Day (May 20) was the result of a Slovenian initiative and that the "Beekeeping in Slovenia, a Way of Life" project was listed on the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2022.

Slovenia is actively involved in integrating pollinator roles into international environmental policies and addressing global food security concerns through its so-called "bee diplomacy."

"Slovenia can share good practices developed through pollination projects and beekeeping," Podlesnik added.

Moreover, Ambassador Podlesnik highlighted the long-lasting tradition of beekeeping in Slovenia and Egypt and its importance for environmental sustainability and positive economic impacts by supporting rural development and promoting local tourism.

He also presented the Slovenian initiative "Honey Breakfast" or, more recently, the "Slovenian breakfast." Its goal is to promote locally produced food and the benefits of eating a healthy breakfast, especially for children and youth.

"This year, the week from 11 to 17 November marked the first Slovenian Food Week, whose aim is to encourage the rediscovery of traditional dishes and the benefits of locally produced food, and the 'Slovenian breakfast' is an important part of the Slovenian Food Week from now on," Podlesnik stated.

Furthermore, the Slovenian ambassador expressed his strong belief that this event represents only the beginning of fruitful cooperation among the organizers and between both countries. It is also in common interest to extend the partnership to other relevant stakeholders, especially in the field of rural economic development.

Valentina Cvjetković, a representative of the Beekeeping Academy of Slovenia, also lectured on Slovenian beekeeping and its skills and practices on the sidelines of the event. The participants explored the possibility of enhancing bee research cooperation between Slovenia and Egypt.

During the event, children from the Gharbiya governorate participated in a workshop on painting Egyptian beehives with Slovenian and Egyptian motifs. They also learned about the importance of bees and beekeeping in maintaining the balance in the environment.