ALGIERS - European and North African countries on Thursday called for greater coordination to head off future food crises, mainly in grains supplies, across the Mediterranean region. North African countries have to allocate huge budgets to pay for food imports, and face the risk of social unrest should world prices rise or they become unable to meet demand from growing populations. France has for years been the main grains supplier to Algeria and Morocco, especially wheat. “There is a need for a partnership between Europe and the Mediterranean,” French Agriculture Minister Stephane Le Foll said at the Algiers meeting. “Agricultural policies should be part of cooperation with Europe.” Le Foll made the comments at a meeting for agriculture ministers from the so-called CIHEAM member states. The 13-member organisation, which aims to boost food security cooperation, groups France, Spain, Italy, Greece, Malta, Portugal, Turkey, Albania, Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco and Tunisia. The meeting followed a conference of Euro-Med countries in Algiers last November for talks over investment in the agriculture sector. “Some countries need help as their food security is threatened,” Algerian Agriculture Minister Abdelwahab Nouri said. The ministers recommended the development of a regional information network, launched in January this year to promote cooperation and share experience on agricultural markets. (Reporting By Hamid Ould Ahmed; editing by Patrick Markey and Keiron Henderson)