CULTURE
FAO’S SUBREGIONAL OFFICE OPENS IN ANKARA
At the invitation of the Agriculture Minister of Turkey Mehdi Eker, Azerbaijan Minister of Agriculture Ismet Abbasov is in Turkey for inauguration of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) subregional office for Turkey, Azerbaijan and Central Asia.
Speaking at the opening ceremony on July 11, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey has supported Azerbaijan and Central Asian countries since early years of their independence. Opening of FAO’s subregional office in Ankara will give a kick-start to implementation of agriculture and food safety projects.
Turkey’s Agriculture Minister Mehdi Eker and FAO director general Jacques Diouf said the subregional office will play a key role in elimination of poverty and improving the quality of food. Ismet Abbasov said that the new office would provide opportunities for cooperation of the countries concerned. He said that Azerbaijan strengthens cooperation with the FAO.
Ismet Abbasov said, “for over 11 years of its membership, Azerbaijan has implemented the projects with the technical and financial support of the FAO to learn of the best practices in the field of agriculture, improve the basis of the market economy, and business and agriculture skills, establish the agricultural information and monitoring system.”
Ismet Abbasov pointed out that the time has come for Turkey share its experience in the agricultural field with the fraternal countries. Opening of the office in Ankara, according to him, will establish groundwork for deepening relationships among regional countries.
Later the same day, Ismet Abbasov met with his Turkish counterpart Mehdi Eker to discuss prospects for cooperation in the agrarian field. It was stressed at the meeting that with opening of FAO’s office in Ankara Turkey will become a donor of the projects to be implemented in the Central Asia and Azerbaijan.