National Institute of Biology was today, 11th of October 2013, visited by the delegation from Egypt including senior representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Transport, together with the representative of the Slovenian Ministry of Agriculture and Environment Vlasta Knapič, representative of Port of Koper Milena Jerman and representatives of shippers Igor Kuzelj and Robert Skok. The delegation visited the quarantine laboratories and discussed diagnostics of plant quarantine diseases. A new method was demonstrated for the molecular identification of microorganisms that can be performed outside of laboratory that has been developed at the Department of Biotechnology and Systems Biology NIB. Procedures for checks on imports of Egyptian plant products in Europe through the Port of Koper were discussed as well as possibilities of closer cooperation. The delegation was received by the Head of the Department of Biotechnology and Systems Biology prof. dr. Maja Ravnikar and the head of the bacteriological laboratory dr. Tanja Dreo. Delegation of Egypt also visited the Port of Koper and the Ministry of Agriculture and the Environment, the Administration for Food Safety, Veterinary and Plant Protection.

Members of the delegation from Egypt:

CAPQ
Dr. Mohamed Refaat Rasmy Abdelhamid Eladawy, CAPQ, Head of Central Administration of Plant Quarantine - NPPO
Mr. Ali Shaaban Ali Balah, CAPQ Plant Health Liaison Officer for Europe, NPPO

MoT
Mr. Tarek Shahin Ali, Ministry of Transportation, Alexandria Port

GOEIC
Mohamed Alaa Eldin Abdel Karim Sayed, GOEIC Chairman
Samir Abdelhamid Mahmoud Elgammal, GOEIC, Minister's advisor
Dr. Abdelhamid Mostafa Shehata Atia, Vice Minister Head of Agricultural Service

Enzo Puliatti, IT Synergy, Egypt