Agriculture Minister Inam Karimov meets FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu

Azerbaijani Agriculture Minister Inam Karimov, who is visiting Germany, met Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations Qu Dongyu within the framework of the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture.

AZERTAJ has reported the minister as saying that cooperation between Azerbaijan and FAO has entered a new phase. The minister said that matters outlined in the Partnership Program signed with FAO are being successfully implemented: "The priority of agrarian policy in our country is to ensure food security, including the provision of quality and healthy food to the population and rural development. These goals coincide with FAO's main activities and targets. The establishment of a successful model of cooperation with FAO contributes to the implementation of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. We attach great importance to cooperation with international organizations, and in this regard, FAO is our most important international partner."

Inam Karimov said that up to 10 joint projects are being currently implemented within the framework of cooperation between Azerbaijan and FAO and that the projects cover the fields of seed production, cattle-breeding, phytosanitary services and pest control.

The minister spoke about reform conducted in the agrarian sector in Azerbaijan, the introduction of the Electronic Agricultural Information System, and the electronification of agrarian services. He said that the introduction of EAIS will ensure that government support to agriculture is provided in a more transparent, targeted and swift manner. One of the main advantages of the introduction of the new system is that it eliminates time losses and provides farmers with access to information about sowing done across the country.

The FAO director-general said he was informed about the EAIS introduction process in Azerbaijan, and described the full electronification of agrarian services as serious reform. He said that Azerbaijan is a big success as it has electronified agrarian services and should share its experience with other countries. He recalled that a project titled "Digital Agricultural Transformation Workshop" was implemented with the support of FAO. He said that electronification in the agrarian sector will enhance agricultural output and productivity, provide quick access to markets and reduce operating costs. The director-general said that the introduction of high technology in all fields is expanding around the world. He said agriculture should not be left out of the process either. In this regard, Qu Dongyu highly praised the steps taken by Azerbaijan to electronify agrarian services. He expressed confidence that a successful completion of the process will give a major impetus to the development of the agrarian sector in the country.

The FAO director-general said he is pleased that high-level relations were established between Azerbaijan and the organization. He said that the organization he represents has cooperated with Azerbaijan since 1995. More than 50 projects have been implemented within this cooperation over the past years. Qu Dongyu said that projects aimed at forming a stable, efficient and professional specialist base in the agrarian sector will continue to receive support.

Work done under the Partnership Agreement signed between Azerbaijan and FAO was discussed at the meeting, and an exchange of opinions was conducted about the development of bilateral and multilateral cooperation models toward the resolution of matters discussed within the framework of the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture.