(JNS.org) Israeli Agriculture Minister Yair Shamir announced Monday that the Israeli and Japanese governments will establish a joint research and development fund after a meeting with Japanese Agriculture, Fisheries and Forests Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi in Tokyo.

While in Japan, Shamir toured fishing and green house development areas, and examined Japan’s wastewater treatment and dairy industry. The two ministers also discussed the option of exporting Israeli agricultural produce to Japan. A secondary goal of the trip was to promote the International Dairy Federation conference, to be held next October in Israel with participants from 54 countries.

“I was impressed that there is a great appreciation for the scientific and technological capabilities of the State of Israel in the field of agriculture,” Shamir said, according to the Jerusalem Post.