Baku, Azerbaijan - On the second day of his visit to Baku, the Director General of the Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS), Ambassador Berik Aryn, engaged in fruitful discussions with Azerbaijani officials overseeing the food security and agriculture sector.
During a meeting with deputies of the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mr. Tahir Mirkishili, Head of the Committee on Economic Policy, Industry, and Entrepreneurship, and Mr. Tahir Rzaev, Head of the Committee on Agrarian Policy, Ambassador Aryn has provided the mandate of IOFS to develop Strategies for ensuring food security of OIC countries and its gradual coordination with regional groups of member countries. The deputies expressed keen interest in the Organization's mission and its alignment with President Ilham Aliyev’s policies, which aim to enhance Azerbaijan's role in regional, Turkic, and Islamic community development. On behalf of the legislative branch, the deputies expressed their readiness to support Azerbaijan’s accession to the IOFS.
Ambassador Berik Aryn also met with Ms. Ilhama Gadiyeva, Deputy Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Azerbaijan, accompanied by several Heads of Ministry Departments. He expressed gratitude for the warm reception and detailed the IOFS's initiatives and objectives. During their meeting, Director General emphasized the synergies between the IOFS’s mission and Azerbaijan’s agricultural goals, discussed the accession process, and explored ways the IOFS could support the successful implementation of COP29. Deputy Minister Ms. Gadiyeva outlined significant reforms and achievements in Azerbaijan’s agricultural sector, emphasizing the country’s commitment to development and innovation. Both parties agreed on the necessity of strengthening future cooperation to achieve mutual goals.
The IOFS Director General held meetings with Mr. Firdovsi Fikretsade, Director of the Research Center for Agricultural Economics under the Ministry of Agriculture of Azerbaijan, and Ms. Sevinj Mammedova, Deputy Director of the Research Institute of Crop Husbandry. These discussions further reinforced the collaborative spirit between the IOFS and Azerbaijani agricultural institutions.
Additionally, a meeting was held with Ms. Aktoty Raimkulova, President of the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation. The parties suggested working together to promote folk traditions, that encourage respect for food, reduce food waste, and to share still relevant folk techniques of food processing.
These meetings mark a significant step towards mutually beneficial cooperation, with a shared vision for future initiatives and collaborative success.